summarize

/ˈsʌməˌɹaɪz/

//ˈsʌməˌɹaɪz// verb

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

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

The verdict

“summarize” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #21,675. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#21,675
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To prepare a summary of (something).

Corpus desk

Index EN-summarize · summarize · English

summarize · rank #21,675 · 11 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #21,675
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH subtitle

Nearest frequency peer: subtitle (-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 “summarize”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “summarize” 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).

summarize vs submarine
78% similar
summarize vs summarily
78% similar
summarize vs summarise
89% similar

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

Key facts for summarize
PropertyValue
Headwordsummarize
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈsʌməˌɹaɪz/
Letters9
Frequency rank#21,675
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “summarize”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).summarizelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “subtitle” (#21,674), “sympathies” (#21,676), “stricter” (#21,673). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “summarize” is #21,675. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around summarize (IPA /ˈsʌməˌɹaɪz/), averb. Corpus frequency is #21,675 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for summarize, with forms such as "smumarize", "ssummarize", and "sumamrize". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "submarine", "summarily", "summarise", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From summary + -ize. From summ(ary) + -arize. The correct English form is summarize, spelled S-U-M-M-A-R-I-Z-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To prepare a summary of (something).
  2. 2
    To give a recapitulation of the salient facts; to recapitulate or review.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Jim was asked to summarize the document by Wednesday.
  2. After the meeting, Jim summarized the major decisions made.

Etymology

From summary + -ize. From summ(ary) + -arize.

Synonyms

précis

This word in other languages

résumer(Français)zusammenfassen(Deutsch)resumir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • smumarize
  • ssummarize
  • sumamrize
  • sumarize
  • summairze
  • summariez
  • summarizze
  • summarrize
  • summarzie
  • summraize
  • usmmarize

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of summarize - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

smumarize2ssummarize1sumamrize2sumarize1summairze2summariez2summarizze1summarrize1
Edit distance from "summarize"

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 "summarize"?
"summarize" is spelled S-U-M-M-A-R-I-Z-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsʌməˌɹaɪz/.
What does "summarize" mean?
As a verb, "summarize" means: To prepare a summary of (something).
What words are commonly confused with "summarize"?
"summarize" is commonly confused with "submarine", "summarily", "summarise". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "summarize"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "summarize" is /ˈsʌməˌɹaɪz/. 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 "summarize"?
From summary + -ize. From summ(ary) + -arize. 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 "summarize", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

stretcher#21,672torturing#21,682unfounded#21,688uninsured#21,691

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

trimming11 variantsspamming11 variantsvirtuous11 variantsresorted11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list