Realise Or Realize | Difference & Example Sentences - Scribbr

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APA Citation Generator Realise or Realize | Difference & Example Sentences

Published on 19 August 2022 by Eoghan Ryan. Revised on 6 February 2023.

Realise and realize are two different spellings of the verb meaning ‘become aware’ or ‘make real’. The spelling varies based on whether you’re writing UK or US English.

• In UK English, ‘realise’ (with an ‘s’) is more common.
• In US English, ‘realize’ (with a ‘z’) is the only correct spelling.

Jake didn’t realise/realize that he had left his wallet at home.

Clara wanted Paul to realise/realize he was mistaken.

Sierra hopes to realise/realize her dream of writing a novel.

The more goals you realise/realize, the more confident you’ll be.

While ‘realise’ is more commonly used in UK English, note that Oxford style recommends ‘realize’. ‘Realize’ is always used in US English.

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1. ‘Realising’ or ‘realizing’
2. Other interesting language articles

‘Realising’ or ‘realizing’

Realising and realizing are the present participle and gerund of the verb ‘realise/realize’. The same spelling distinction carries over to these forms, the past forms realised/realized, and the nouns realisation/realization.

• In UK English, ‘realising’, ‘realised’, and ‘realisation’ are commonly used.
• In US English, ‘realizing’, ‘realized’, and ‘realization’ are the only valid spellings.

Before realising/realizing the handbrake was on, Linda thought her car was stalled.

As I spoke to Peter, I realised/realized we hadn’t seen each other in almost 10 years.

Belle got angry once she came to the realisation/realization that she had been fooled.

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Other interesting language articles

If you want to know more about commonly confused words, definitions, and differences between US and UK spellings, make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations, examples, and quizzes.

Confused words

• A vs an
• Affect vs effect
• Further vs farther
• Loose vs lose
• Whose vs who’s

Definitions

• Ad nauseam
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US vs. UK spellings

• Canceled or cancelled
• Dreamt or dreamed
• Gray or grey
• Learnt vs learned
• Theater vs theatre

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Ryan, E. (2023, February 06). Realise or Realize | Difference & Example Sentences. Scribbr. Retrieved 24 February 2026, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/uk-vs-us/realize-or-realise/

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Eoghan Ryan

Eoghan has a lot of experience with theses and dissertations at bachelor's, MA, and PhD level. He has taught university English courses, helping students to improve their research and writing.

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