Seize is a verb meaning to take hold of something quickly and with force; in specific contexts it also denotes arrest or confiscation. It can function as a noun in phrases like a seizure or fit. The core idea is sudden, decisive gripping or grabbing, often with legal or authoritative implications or consequences.
"She will seize the opportunity and present her proposal at the meeting."
"The police officer may seize any contraband found during the search."
"A seizure of power occurred after the sudden coup."
"The market seized up when the announcement was made."
Seize comes from Old French saisir, from Latin captare, frequentative of capere, meaning to take, seize, or grasp. The word entered English via Anglo-Norman in the 13th century, with sense development around forceful grabbing or arrest. The noun sense “the act of seizing” and figurative uses evolved through legal and political contexts, including “seizure of power” and “seizure of goods,” reflecting official authority and coercion. The spelling has remained stable while pronunciation reflects the historic French-and-Latin roots, with the modern English pronunciation /siːz/ (US/UK) retaining a long vowel in the first syllable and a voiced z in the coda. The semantic expansion to psychological or sudden episodes of seizure in medicine is unrelated etymologically, deriving from a different root (from Old French estat d’embrasser) and later through medical usage. The first known English uses of seize appeared by the late 1200s in legal and physical grabbing senses, and over time the term consolidated into everyday and formal domains, particularly where control or capture is involved.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Seize" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Seize"
-ase sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Seize is pronounced /siːz/ in US, UK, and AU. The first syllable has a long “ee” vowel, like see, with a voiced alveolar sibilant ending. It’s a one-syllable word with no consonant clusters beyond the /z/. Tip: keep the tongue high for the /iː/ and finish with a short, clean /z/—avoid voicing or adding a /r/ or /d/ at the end. Reference: IPA /siːz/.
Common errors include turning /siːz/ into /siːzɪ/ by adding a trailing -i; inserting an extra syllable due to hyper-correction; or enunciating as /sɪːz/ with a short vowel. Correct by maintaining a single syllable, ensuring the vowel is long /iː/ and final /z/ is voiced; keep the tongue high and relaxed, don’t pronounce a /t/ or /d/ after /z/.
Across US/UK/AU, /siːz/ remains similar, but rhoticity affects surrounding speech when used in connected phrases; in some accents you may hear a slightly tensed /iː/ and a more deliberate /z/ release. Australians may have a marginally clipped vowel length in fast speech, but the core /siːz/ remains intact.
The difficulty stems from the short, high-front vowel length and the voiced /z/ at the end; some learners fear silent letters in related words, but seize has no silent letters. The main challenge is producing a pure long /iː/ and ensuring the /z/ is voiced without following voiceless sounds in adjacent words.
In connected speech, you might hear “seize” merge with following sounds; practice boundary clarity by isolating /siːz/ and then pairing with consonants like /t/ or /d/ (e.g., seize the day, seize the ball). Notice the mouth position: high front tongue, spread lips, and a breathy release before the /z/.
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