sympathize

verb

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

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

The verdict

“sympathize” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #26,990 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#26,990
frequency rank, English
10
letters
16
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 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

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)

Where “sympathize” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for sympathize is 10 letters long, classified as a verb. Corpus data places it at rank #26,990 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

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.

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.

Using “sympathize”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is S-Y-M-P-A-T-H-I-Z-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Don't mix it up with “sympathizer” - see the side-by-side comparison. sympathize vs sympathizer
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list