deserve

/dɪˈzɜːv/

//dɪˈzɜːv// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"deserve" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“deserve” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,529 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#2,529
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To be entitled to, as a result of past actions; to be worthy to have.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

deserve vs desire
71% similar
deserve vs deserved
88% similar
deserve vs desert
71% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for deserve
PropertyValue
Headworddeserve
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dɪˈzɜːv/
Letters7
Frequency rank#2,529
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “deserve” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). deserve lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for deserve is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɪˈzɜːv/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,529 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for deserve, with forms such as "ddeserve", "deesrve", and "deserev". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 7 confusable-pair relationships, "desire", "deserved", "desert", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English deserven, from Old French deservir, from Latin dēserviō, from dē- + serviō. The correct English form is deserve, spelled D-E-S-E-R-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To be entitled to, as a result of past actions; to be worthy to have.
  2. 2
    To earn, win.
  3. 3
    To reward, to give in return for service.
  4. 4
    To serve; to treat; to benefit.

Etymology

From Middle English deserven, from Old French deservir, from Latin dēserviō, from dē- + serviō.

Synonyms

meritbrookdeserveearngarnerreapwinbe worthy of

Antonyms

undeserve

This word in other languages

merecer(Español)mériter(Français)verdienen(Deutsch)merecer(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddeserve,deesrve,deserev,deserrve,deservve,desevre,desreve,desserve,dseerve,edserve

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of deserve - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ddeserve1deesrve2deserev2deserrve1deservve1desevre2desreve2desserve1
Edit distance from "deserve"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "deserve"?
"deserve" is spelled D-E-S-E-R-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈzɜːv/.
What does "deserve" mean?
As a verb, "deserve" means: To be entitled to, as a result of past actions; to be worthy to have.
What words are commonly confused with "deserve"?
"deserve" is commonly confused with "desire", "deserved", "desert". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "deserve"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "deserve" is /dɪˈzɜːv/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "deserve"?
From Middle English deserven, from Old French deservir, from Latin dēserviō, from dē- + serviō. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “deserve”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is D-E-S-E-R-V-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /dɪˈzɜːv/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “desire” - see the side-by-side comparison. deserve vs desire
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list