diff --git a/skimage/rank/_crank16.pyx b/skimage/rank/_crank16.pyx
index bd60c3e8..573db50f 100644
--- a/skimage/rank/_crank16.pyx
+++ b/skimage/rank/_crank16.pyx
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ cdef inline np.uint16_t kernel_bottomhat(int* histo, float pop, np.uint16_t g,in
     return <np.uint16_t>(g-i)
 
 
-cdef inline np.uint16_t kernel_egalise(int* histo, float pop, np.uint16_t g,int bitdepth,int maxbin, int midbin):
+cdef inline np.uint16_t kernel_equalize(int* histo, float pop, np.uint16_t g,int bitdepth,int maxbin, int midbin):
     cdef int i
     cdef float sum = 0.
 
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ def equalize(np.ndarray[np.uint16_t, ndim=2] image,
             char shift_x=0, char shift_y=0, int bitdepth=8):
     """local egalisation of the gray level
     """
-    return _core16(kernel_egalise,image,selem,mask,out,shift_x,shift_y,bitdepth)
+    return _core16(kernel_equalize,image,selem,mask,out,shift_x,shift_y,bitdepth)
 
 def gradient(np.ndarray[np.uint16_t, ndim=2] image,
             np.ndarray[np.uint8_t, ndim=2] selem,
diff --git a/skimage/rank/tests/demo_16bitbilateral.py b/skimage/rank/tests/demo_16bitbilateral.py
index 2a302e6a..85fd510c 100644
--- a/skimage/rank/tests/demo_16bitbilateral.py
+++ b/skimage/rank/tests/demo_16bitbilateral.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
     f2 = rank.bilateral_mean(a16,selem = selem,s0=500,s1=500)
 
     selem = disk(50)
-    f3 = rank.egalise(a16,selem = selem)
+    f3 = rank.equalize(a16,selem = selem)
 
     plt.figure()
     plt.imshow(np.hstack((a8,f1)))