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specialize

spe·cial·ize/ˈspɛʃəˌlaɪz/verb

specialize is spelled S-P-E-C-I-A-L-I-Z-E: 10 letters and 3 syllables (spe·cial·ize). It appears 1.9 times per million words in written English, the 20,101st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). People search “specialise vs specialize” about 10 times a month (Google, United States). As a verb, specialize means “To specify: to mention specifically” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in specialize?

Letters10: S-P-E-C-I-A-L-I-Z-E
Syllables3: spe·cial·ize
In writing1.9 times per million words; the 20,101st most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search
Pairs people 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); Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026).

How common is specialize?

Specialize appears 1.9 times per million words in written English, the 20,101st 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 specialize?

  • /ˈspɛʃəˌlaɪz/

Specialize has 3 syllables, split spe·cial·ize in writing.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-specialize.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-NaomiAmethyst-specialise.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Words people confuse with specialize

Word pairs people search, with the monthly searches for “a vs b” (G: Google, B: Bing, United States).

specialise vs specialize10 G

Also written: specialise, specialized.

Sources: Google and Bing searches (September 2025 to August 2026, through DataForSEO); English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).

Forms of specialize

  • specializes present, singular, he/she/it
  • specializing participle, present
  • specialized participle, past
  • specialise

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does specialize mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

verb

  1. 1

    BritishUSobsoleteTo go into specific details.

  2. 2

    BritishUSrareTo specify: to mention specifically.

  3. 3

    BritishUSTo narrow in scope.

  4. 4

    BritishUSTo make distinct or separate due to form or function.

  5. 5

    BritishUSTo become distinct or separate from what is common, particularly

  6. 6

    BritishUSTo focus one's study upon a particular skill, field, topic, or genre.

  7. 7

    BritishUSTo focus one's business upon a particular item or service.

  8. 8

    BritishUSderogatoryTo be known or notorious for some specialty.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Specialize in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchspécialiser (to mention specially; to particularize)
Germanspezialisieren (to mention specially; to particularize)
Portugueseespecializar (to mention specially; to particularize), especializarse (to apply to some specialty or limited object)
Spanishespecializar (to mention specially; to particularize), especializarse (to apply to some specialty or limited object)

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 specialize come from?

From special + -ize.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after specialize