Words ending
in -ize.

alphabet → alphabetize

To put things in ABC order.

“Please alphabetize the spelling words.”

apology → apologize

To say sorry.

“He apologized for stepping on my foot.”

category → categorize

To sort things into groups.

“We categorized the animals by what they eat.”

custom → customize

To change something to suit what you want.

“He customized his bike with a new bell.”

drama → dramatize

To turn a story into a play.

“Our class dramatized a fairy tale.”

energy → energize

To give energy to someone or something.

“A good breakfast energizes me for the day.”

final → finalize

To finish the last details of something.

“We finalized our plans for the trip.”

harmony → harmonize

To sing or play notes that sound good together.

“The choir harmonized beautifully.”

maximum → maximize

To make something as big as possible.

“Plant the seeds in rows to maximize space.”

memory → memorize

To learn something so you can remember it exactly.

“We memorized a poem for the assembly.”

minimum → minimize

To make something as small as possible.

“Close the window to minimize the noise.”

modern → modernize

To make something new and up to date.

“The town modernized its old library.”

No common root word

To arrange things in a neat or useful way.

“Let's organize the books on the shelf.”

personal → personalize

To make something just for one person.

“She personalized her pencil case with stickers.”

priority → prioritize

To decide which things are most important.

“Prioritize your homework before you play.”

public → publicize

To tell lots of people about something.

“We publicized the bake sale with posters.”

real → realize

To understand or notice something.

“I didn't realize it was so late.”

No common root word

To know someone or something because you have seen it before.

“I didn't recognize you with your new haircut.”

social → socialize

To spend time with other people for fun.

“Grandma likes to socialize at the café.”

special → specialize

To study or work on one main subject.

“This vet specializes in horses.”

summary → summarize

To tell the main points in a few words.

“Can you summarize the story in two sentences?”

symbol → symbolize

To stand for something else.

“The dove symbolizes peace.”

sympathy → sympathize

To feel sorry for someone and understand how they feel.

“I sympathize with you about your lost kite.”

visual → visualize

To make a picture of something in your mind.

“Close your eyes and visualize a beach.”