sympathize

verb

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

"sympathize" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“sympathize” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #26,990. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#26,990
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
16
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To have, show or express sympathy; to be affected by feelings similar to those of another, in consequence of knowing the person to be thus affected

Corpus desk

Index EN-sympathize · sympathize · English

sympathize · rank #26,990 · 16 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #26,990
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH tabernacle

Nearest frequency peer: tabernacle (+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 “sympathize”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “sympathize” 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).

sympathize vs sympathizer
91% similar
sympathize vs sympathies
80% similar
sympathize vs sympathise
90% similar

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

Key facts for sympathize
PropertyValue
Headwordsympathize
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
Letters10
Frequency rank#26,990
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “sympathize”

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).sympathizelands 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 “tabernacle” (#26,991), “Susanna” (#26,988), “tagline” (#26,992). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “sympathize” is #26,990. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around sympathize, averb. Corpus frequency is #26,990 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for sympathize, with forms such as "smypathize", "ssympathize", and "symapthize". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "sympathizer", "sympathies", "sympathise", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French sympathiser. By surface analysis, sympathy + -ize. Displaced native Old English efnþrōwian (literally “to suffer with or together”). The correct English form is sympathize, spelled S-Y-M-P-A-T-H-I-Z-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To have, show or express sympathy; to be affected by feelings similar to those of another, in consequence of knowing the person to be thus affected
  2. 2
    To support, favour, have sympathy (with a political cause or movement, a side in a conflict / in an action).
  3. 3
    To say in an expression of sympathy.
  4. 4
    To have a common feeling, as of bodily pleasure or pain.
  5. 5
    To share (a feeling or experience).
  6. 6
    To agree; to be in accord; to harmonize.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. […] the Authors having chosen for their Heroes Persons who were so nearly related to the People for whom they wrote. Achilles was a Greek, and Aeneas the remote Founder of Rome. By this Means their Countrymen (whom they principally proposed to themselves for their Readers) were particularly attentive to all the Parts of their Story, and sympathized with t…
  2. Some old people keep young at heart in spite of wrinkles and gray hairs, can sympathize with children’s little cares and joys, make them feel at home, and can hide wise lessons under pleasant plays, giving and receiving friendship in the sweetest way.

Etymology

Borrowed from French sympathiser. By surface analysis, sympathy + -ize. Displaced native Old English efnþrōwian (literally “to suffer with or together”).

This word in other languages

simpatizar(Español)compatir(Français)mitfühlen(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • smypathize
  • ssympathize
  • symapthize
  • symmpathize
  • sympahtize
  • sympathhize
  • sympathiez
  • sympathizze
  • sympathzie
  • sympatihze
  • sympatthize
  • symppathize
  • symptahize
  • sypmathize
  • syympathize
  • ysmpathize

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of sympathize - 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.

smypathize2ssympathize1symapthize2symmpathize1sympahtize2sympathhize1sympathiez2sympathizze1
Edit distance from "sympathize"

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 "sympathize"?
"sympathize" is spelled S-Y-M-P-A-T-H-I-Z-E.
What does "sympathize" mean?
As a verb, "sympathize" means: To have, show or express sympathy; to be affected by feelings similar to those of another, in consequence of knowing the person to be thus affected
What words are commonly confused with "sympathize"?
"sympathize" is commonly confused with "sympathizer", "sympathies", "sympathise". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
What is the origin of the word "sympathize"?
Borrowed from French sympathiser. By surface analysis, sympathy + -ize. Displaced native Old English efnþrōwian (literally “to suffer with or together”). 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 "sympathize", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

tabernacle#26,991surgically#26,987Strickland#26,978tumultuous#27,010

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (16 here; floor ≥5).

antichrist16 variantsconfessional16 variantsmarketable16 variantsdiffraction16 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list