emphasize

 
Pronunciation: /ˈɛmfəsʌɪz/
(also emphasise)

verb

[with object]
  • 1give special importance or value to (something) in speaking or writing: they emphasize the need for daily, one-to-one contact between parent and child [with clause]: I would emphasize that I am not an economist
  • 2lay stress on (a word or phrase) when speaking: his father emphasized the wrong words in his sentence
  • 3make (something) more clearly defined: a hip-length jacket which emphasized her shape

Spelling help

Remember that emphasize is spelled with -phas- in the middle.