Decoding exercises: "ise"

The sequence "ise" can be pronounced in several ways, normally /aɪz/.

As /ɪs/

• anise - practise^BrE (v.) - premise - promise

As /aɪs/

• concise - paradise - precise

As /iːz/

• expertise - marquise - reprise

As /aɪz/

• Ending in "ise": advertise - advise - arise - chastise - comprise - compromise - demise - despise - devise - disguise - enterprise - excise - exercise - franchise - improvise - incise - otherwise - revise - rise - supervise - surprise - wise

With alternate spelling "ize"

Many words that use the suffix -ise or that in Latin ended in "izare" in British English can end either in "ise" or in "ize". Those verbs in American English can end only in "ize".

• apologise^BrE - apologize; characterise^BrE - characterize; criticise^BrE - criticize; emphasise^BrE - emphasize; familiarise^BrE - familiarize; generalize^BrE - generalize; materialise^BrE - materialize; realise^BrE - realize; recognise^BrE - recognize; specialise^BrE - specialize; summarise^BrE - summarize;

Variant pronunciations

• As /aɪs/ or /aɪz/: merchandise (n.)
• As /ɪs/ or /ɪz/: treatise
• As /ɪs/ or /aɪz/: advertisement /ədˈvɜːrtɪsmənt,^BrE ædvərˈtaɪzmənt^AmE/

Different syllables

• /aɪˈse/ bisexual
• /aɪ.siː/ crises (plural of crisis)
• /aɪ.zə/: miser
• /i:ˈse, əˈse/ antiseptic
• /ɪs.ɪ/: disembark
• /ɪz.ə/: arisen - chisel - commiserate - miserable - misery - risen
• /ɪˈziː/: disease

See also

• Decoding and spelling exercises: /ɪ/ vs /aɪ/
• Pronunciation and decoding exercises: /s/ vs /z/