# desist vs despise

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### desist
*verb · IPA /dɪˈsɪst/ · frequency rank #27,120*
To cease to proceed or act; to stop (often with from).

### despise
*verb · IPA /dɪˈspaɪz/ · frequency rank #14,934*
To regard with contempt or scorn.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/desist-vs-despise