sterilize

/ˈstɛɹɪlaɪz/

//ˈstɛɹɪlaɪz// verb

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

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

The verdict

“sterilize” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #46,193. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#46,193
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To deprive of the ability to procreate.

Corpus desk

Index EN-sterilize · sterilize · English

sterilize · rank #46,193 · 13 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #46,193
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH stewardess

Nearest frequency peer: stewardess (+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 “sterilize”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “sterilize” 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).

sterilize vs sterile
78% similar
sterilize vs stabilize
78% similar

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

Key facts for sterilize
PropertyValue
Headwordsterilize
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈstɛɹɪlaɪz/
Letters9
Frequency rank#46,193
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “sterilize”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).sterilizelands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “stewardess” (#46,194), “spongy” (#46,191), “stockholder” (#46,195). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “sterilize” is #46,193. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around sterilize (IPA /ˈstɛɹɪlaɪz/), averb. Corpus frequency is #46,193 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for sterilize, with forms such as "setrilize", "ssterilize", and "steirlize". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "sterile", "stabilize", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From sterile + -ize. The correct English form is sterilize, spelled S-T-E-R-I-L-I-Z-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To deprive of the ability to procreate.
  2. 2
    To make unable to produce; to make unprofitable.
  3. 3
    To kill, deactivate (denature), or destroy (break apart) all living, viable microorganisms and spores on a surface, in a fluid, or contained in a compound, such as culture media or a medical product.
  4. 4
    To render a planet like Earth permanently uninhabitable to all life, including even microbes, causing their complete extinction.
  5. 5
    To redact (a document), removing classified or sensitive material.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. If monogeny is determined exclusively by a cytoplasmic factor, then it is easy to see that the factor will either die out (if it causes arrhenogeny) or will become fixed and thereby sterilize the population (if it causes thelygeny).
  2. In China, the issue of forced abortions has resurfaced with the allegations by escaped activist Chen Guangcheng, but the outgoing premier Wen Jiabao has publicly called for a ban not only on forced abortion, but also of “fetus gender identification.” Nevertheless, many women who have abortions in China are also sterilized against their will.

Etymology

From sterile + -ize.

Synonyms

sterilize

This word in other languages

esterilizar(Español)stériliser(Français)sterilisieren(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • setrilize
  • ssterilize
  • steirlize
  • steriilze
  • steriliez
  • sterilizze
  • sterillize
  • sterilzie
  • sterliize
  • sterrilize
  • streilize
  • stterilize
  • tserilize

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of sterilize - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

setrilize2ssterilize1steirlize2steriilze2steriliez2sterilizze1sterillize1sterilzie2
Edit distance from "sterilize"

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 "sterilize"?
"sterilize" is spelled S-T-E-R-I-L-I-Z-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈstɛɹɪlaɪz/.
What does "sterilize" mean?
As a verb, "sterilize" means: To deprive of the ability to procreate.
What words are commonly confused with "sterilize"?
"sterilize" is commonly confused with "sterile", "stabilize". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "sterilize"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sterilize" is /ˈstɛɹɪlaɪz/. 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 "sterilize"?
From sterile + -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 "sterilize", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

taskforce#46,211Texarkana#46,215timestamp#46,221tradesman#46,225

Similar misspelling depth

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

striding13 variantsstunting13 variantsticklish13 variantsSantorini13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list