¡Hola! Welcome to our next lesson on verb cognates.
In our last session, we saw how many English verbs can be found simply by removing the infinitive ending from their Spanish counterparts, like changing decidir to decide. This is a powerful shortcut for expanding your vocabulary.
Today, we will build on that by learning another very consistent and useful pattern. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to convert Spanish verbs ending in -izar to English verbs ending in -ize, such as turning organizar into organize. This pattern will instantly unlock dozens of new English verbs for you.
The -izar to -ize Pattern
One of the most reliable cognate patterns for verbs is the transformation of the Spanish -izar ending to the English -ize ending. The spelling change is minimal, making these words easy to recognize.
Let's start by looking at a list of clear examples.
Spanish Cognates: 10000 Words You Already Know
The following resource from Espanol.com provides a concise list of verbs that follow this exact pattern. It clearly shows the direct relationship between the Spanish and English words.
Please find the heading 'Verbs: -ize ↔ -izar' in the document. Read through the list of 10 example verb pairs provided there.
As you can see from the list, the transformation is very straightforward. Here are some of the most common examples:
Spanish (-izar) |
English (-ize) |
|---|---|
organizar |
organize |
modernizar |
modernize |
finalizar |
finalize |
autorizar |
authorize |
optimizar |
optimize |
legalizar |
legalize |
This pattern is a fantastic tool for reading comprehension. When you see a word like digitalizar in Spanish, you can confidently guess its English equivalent is digitize or digitalize.
Pronunciation and Stress
While the spelling is similar, the pronunciation is different. Your preference for learning about pronunciation will be very helpful here.
1. The Sound of -ize
In English, the -ize ending is almost always pronounced as /aɪz/. It's a combination of a long "i" sound (like in ice or eye) and a "z" sound.
organ**ize**(sounds like "organ-eyes")final**ize**(sounds like "final-eyes")
2. Word Stress
In both Spanish and English, the stress in these verbs often falls on the syllable right before the ending. This makes the rhythm of the words quite similar.
Let's compare. The stressed syllable is in bold.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| or-ga-ni-ZAR | or-ga-NIZE |
| mo-der-ni-ZAR | mod-er-NIZE |
| fi-na-li-ZAR | fi-nal-IZE |
| prio-ri-ZAR | pri-or-i-TIZE |
Notice that the main stress falls on the same part of the word stem. Recognizing this shared rhythm can help you identify and pronounce these verbs correctly.
A Quick Visual Guide
The image below shows several verb cognate patterns, including the one we are studying today. Seeing it in a table can help you remember it alongside other patterns.
As you can see, the -ize / -izar pattern is presented along with other common verb endings. We will cover the -ify / -ificar pattern in our next lesson.
Test your understanding!
Based on the -izar to -ize pattern, what are the likely English cognates for these Spanish verbs?
utilizarpersonalizarfamiliarizarlegalizar
Show answer
- utilize
- personalize
- familiarize
- legalize
An Important Spelling Note: -ize vs. -ise
You will sometimes see these same English verbs spelled with an -ise at the end (e.g., organise, finalise).
- -ize is the standard spelling in American English.
- -ise is common in British English.
Both spellings are correct and have the same meaning and pronunciation. It is just a regional difference, similar to color (American) and colour (British). Being aware of this will prevent confusion when you are reading different texts.
Finding More Examples
The document from NYU Steinhardt that we used in the previous lesson also contains examples of this pattern. In the section "Regla 9: Palabras en inglés que terminan en “e” en español se quita la “e” y se añade “ar” o “ir”", you can find verbs like:
authorize-autorizarorganize-organizarstandardize-estandarizarutilize-utilizar
This shows how common and reliable this cognate rule is.
Conclusion
Great job! Today you've learned another key pattern for converting Spanish verbs into English verbs. This will significantly speed up your ability to recognize words when you read.
Key Takeaways:
- The Rule: Spanish verbs ending in
-izarvery often become English verbs by changing the ending to-ize. - Pronunciation: The English
-izeending is pronounced /aɪz/, and the stress pattern is often similar to the Spanish version, falling on the syllable before the ending. - Spelling Variation: Be aware that
-ize(American) and-ise(British) are both correct spellings for these verbs.
In our next lesson, we'll continue with verbs and explore the pattern for words ending in -ificar, such as converting justificar to justify.