stabilize

/ˈsteɪ.bəˌlaɪz/

//ˈsteɪ.bəˌlaɪz// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"stabilize" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“stabilize” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #15,917. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#15,917
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To make stable.

Corpus desk

Index EN-stabilize · stabilize · English

stabilize · rank #15,917 · 13 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #15,917
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH Stains

Nearest frequency peer: Stains (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “stabilize”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “stabilize” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

stabilize vs sterilize
78% similar
stabilize vs stabilizer
90% similar
stabilize vs stability
78% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for stabilize
PropertyValue
Headwordstabilize
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈsteɪ.bəˌlaɪz/
Letters9
Frequency rank#15,917
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “stabilize”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).stabilizelands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “Stains” (#15,918), “spectral” (#15,915), “stalk” (#15,919). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “stabilize” is #15,917. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around stabilize (IPA /ˈsteɪ.bəˌlaɪz/), averb. Corpus frequency is #15,917 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for stabilize, with forms such as "satbilize", "sstabilize", and "stabbilize". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "sterilize", "stabilizer", "stability", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From stable + -ize. The correct English form is stabilize, spelled S-T-A-B-I-L-I-Z-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To make stable.
  2. 2
    To become stable.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how stabilize appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Jody stabilized the table by putting a book under the short leg.
  2. The country will stabilize after the next election ends.

Etymology

From stable + -ize.

This word in other languages

estabilizar(Español)stabiliser(Français)stabilisieren(Deutsch)estabilizar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • satbilize
  • sstabilize
  • stabbilize
  • stabiilze
  • stabiliez
  • stabilizze
  • stabillize
  • stabilzie
  • stabliize
  • staiblize
  • stbailize
  • sttabilize
  • tsabilize

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of stabilize - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

satbilize2sstabilize1stabbilize1stabiilze2stabiliez2stabilizze1stabillize1stabilzie2
Edit distance from "stabilize"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "stabilize"?
"stabilize" is spelled S-T-A-B-I-L-I-Z-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsteɪ.bəˌlaɪz/.
What does "stabilize" mean?
As a verb, "stabilize" means: To make stable.
What words are commonly confused with "stabilize"?
"stabilize" is commonly confused with "sterilize", "stabilizer", "stability". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "stabilize"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "stabilize" is /ˈsteɪ.bəˌlaɪz/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "stabilize"?
From stable + -ize. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "stabilize", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

standings#15,920statesman#15,921surrounds#15,926symbolism#15,929

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

spectral13 variantssimplify13 variantsunderwood13 variantsamplifier13 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list