Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Spelling/Words ending with "-ise" or "-ize"

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This sub-page of Wikipedia:Manual of Style (spelling) is intended to be an extensive list of English-language words ending with the suffixes "-ise" or "-ize".

Words ending with "-ise" or "-ize"

The following is a list of common words sometimes ending with "-ise" (en-GB) especially in the UK popular press and "-ize" in American English (en-US) and Oxford spelling (en-GB-oxendict; formerly en-GB-oed) as used by the British Oxford English Dictionary, which uses the "-ize" ending for most of the same words as American English. Commonwealth countries follow British English, except Canada which follows American English spellings more closely.

en-GB	en-GB-oxendict	en-US
agonise	agonize	agonize
alphabetise	alphabetize	alphabetize
apologise	apologize	apologize
authorise	authorize	authorize
bastardise	bastardize	bastardize
capitalise	capitalize	capitalize
carbonise	carbonize	carbonize
categorise	categorize	categorize
characterise	characterize	characterize
civilise	civilize	civilize
colonise	colonize	colonize
colorise, colourise	colorize, colourize	colorize
computerise	computerize	computerize
criticise	criticize	criticize
customise	customize	customize
demonise	demonize	demonize
dramatise	dramatize	dramatize
empathise	empathize	empathize
emphasise	emphasize	emphasize
energise	energize	energize
equalise	equalize	equalize
finalise	finalize	finalize
fossilise	fossilize	fossilize
generalise	generalize	generalize
globalise	globalize	globalize
harmonise	harmonize	harmonize
homogenise	homogenize	homogenize
hospitalise	hospitalize	hospitalize
hypnotise	hypnotize	hypnotize
imperialise	imperialize	imperialize
institutionalise	institutionalize	institutionalize
legalise	legalise	legalize
localise	localize	localize
materialise	materialize	materialize
maximise	maximize	maximize
mechanise	mechanize	mechanize
memorise	memorize	memorize
minimise	minimize	minimize
modernise	modernize	modernize
normalise	normalize	normalize
optimise	optimize	optimize
organise	organize	organize
oxidise	oxidize	oxidize
pasteurise	pasteurize	pasteurize
patronise	patronize	patronize
personalise	personalize	personalize
philosophise	philosophize	philosophize
polarise	polarize	polarize
popularise	popularize	popularize
pressurise	pressurize	pressurize
prioritise	prioritize	prioritize
prise^[1]	prise^[1]	prize/prise^[1]
privatise	privatize	privatize
publicise	publicize	publicize
realise	realize	realize
recognise	recognize	recognize
regularise	regularize	regularize
revolutionise	revolutionize	revolutionize
sanitise	sanitize	sanitize
scrutinise	scrutinize	scrutinize
sensitise	sensitize	sensitize
socialise	socialize	socialize
specialise	specialize	specialize
stabilise	stabilize	stabilize
standardise	standardize	standardize
sterilise	sterilize	sterilize
summarise	summarize	summarize
synchronise	synchronize	synchronize
symbolise	symbolize	symbolize
sympathise	sympathize	sympathize
synthesise	synthesize	synthesize
tantalise	tantalize	tantalize
tenderise	tenderize	tenderize
terrorise	terrorize	terrorize
theorise	theorize	theorize
theorise	theorize	theorize
utilise	utilize	utilize
vandalise	vandalize	vandalize
virtualise	virtualize	virtualize
visualise	visualize	visualize
vocalise	vocalize	vocalize

Words always ending with "-ize"

The following words end with "-ize" in every variety of English:

assize
Belize
capsize
maize
prize^[1]
seize
size

Words always ending with "-ise"

The following words end with "-ise" in every variety of English:

advertise
advise
anise^[2]
anticlockwise^[3]
appraise
apprise
arise
chastise
circumcise
clockwise
comprise
compromise
concise
counterclockwise^[3]
demise
despise
devise
disguise
enterprise
excise
exercise
expertise
franchise
imprecise
improvise
incise
likewise
merchandise
otherwise
paradise
practise^[4]
praise
precise
premise
promise
revise
rise
supervise
surmise
surprise
televise
wise

The suffix "-wise" is never spelt "-wize", as in "spelling-wise, everything is good".

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d The verb "prise" can also be spelt "prize" in American English but not in Oxford English. The verb is different from the noun "prize", which cannot be spelt "prise".
^ The American English word "anise" is "aniseed" in British English.
^ ^a ^b The opposite of clockwise is anticlockwise in British English and counterclockwise in American English
^ The verb "practise" is spelt "practice" in American English but not in Oxford English. In all varieties of English, the noun is "practice".

[prise/prize-1] The verb "prise" can also be spelt "prize" in American English but not in Oxford English. The verb is different from the noun "prize", which cannot be spelt "prise".

[2] The American English word "anise" is "aniseed" in British English.

[clockwise-3] The opposite of clockwise is anticlockwise in British English and counterclockwise in American English

[4] The verb "practise" is spelt "practice" in American English but not in Oxford English. In all varieties of English, the noun is "practice".

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]