Is recognise a word?

Recognise is the more common British English spelling of recognize. It is considered incorrect in American English.

Most words that end in “-ize” are more usually spelled “-ise” in British English, although the Oxford University Press and Oxford English Dictionary prefer “-ize.”

Whichever way you spell it, recognise/recognize is a regular verb that means “identify something or someone that is already known” (e.g., “Hai wasn’t sure his teacher would recognise/recognize him after so long”) or “acknowledge someone’s efforts or achievements” (e.g., “The award was given every year to recognise/recognize the most community-minded student”).

You can select the regional variation in the QuillBot Grammar Checker to ensure you have the correct spelling of recognise or recognize.