scrutinize
scru·ti·nize/ˈskɹutn̩ˌaɪz/verb
scrutinize is spelled S-C-R-U-T-I-N-I-Z-E: 10 letters and 3 syllables (scru·ti·nize). It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 38,863rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, scrutinize means “To examine something with great care or detail, as to look for hidden or obscure flaws” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in scrutinize?
| Letters | 10: S-C-R-U-T-I-N-I-Z-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: scru·ti·nize |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 38,863rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is scrutinize?
Scrutinize appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 38,863rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce scrutinize?
- UK /ˈskɹuːtɨnaɪz/
- US /ˈskɹutn̩ˌaɪz/
Scrutinize has 3 syllables, split scru·ti·nize in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-scrutinize.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of scrutinize
- scrutinizes present, singular, he/she/it
- scrutinizing participle, present
- scrutinized participle, past
- scrutinise
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does scrutinize mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To examine something with great care or detail, as to look for hidden or obscure flaws.
to scrutinize the conduct or motives of individuals
- 2
To audit accounts etc in order to verify them.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Scrutinize in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | scruter , dépouiller |
| German | gründlich prüfen, hinterfragen, gewissenhaft überprüfen, ergründen, zerlegen, zerpflücken |
| Portuguese | escrutinar, escrutinizar, esquadrinhar, perscrutar, perquirir, esmiuçar |
| Spanish | escrutar, escudriñar, escrudiñar, escrutiñar, zahoriar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does scrutinize come from?
From scrutiny + -ize.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).