desperation

Name: desperation, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˌdɛspəˈɹeɪʃən/

//ˌdɛspəˈɹeɪʃən// noun

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“desperation” has 17 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #13,900. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#13,900
frequency rank, English: 26,416
“D” headwords: 17
tracked misspellings: 2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of despairing or becoming desperate; a giving up of hope.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

desperation vs desertion

82% similar

desperation vs desecration

82% similar

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

Key facts for desperation
Property	Value
Headword	desperation
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˌdɛspəˈɹeɪʃən/
Letters	11
Frequency rank	#13,900
Misspellings tracked	17
Confusable pairs	2
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “desperation” 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). desperation lands here:

#13,900

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 17 spelling variants around desperation (IPA /ˌdɛspəˈɹeɪʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #13,900 among 26,416 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for desperation, with forms such as "ddesperation", "depseration", and "desepration". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "desertion", "desecration", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English desperacion, desperacioun, desperation, disparacion, disperacion, disperacioun, dispiracioune, dysperacioun, from Middle French desperation and its etymon Latin dēspērātiō, dēspērātiōnis. By surface analysis, desperate + -ion. The correct English form is desperation, spelled D-E-S-P-E-R-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

1
The act of despairing or becoming desperate; a giving up of hope.
2
A state of despair, or utter hopelessness; abandonment of hope.
3
Reckless fury.
4
Ellipsis of bladder desperation.

Etymology

From Middle English desperacion, desperacioun, desperation, disparacion, disperacion, disperacioun, dispiracioune, dysperacioun, from Middle French desperation and its etymon Latin dēspērātiō, dēspērātiōnis. By surface analysis, desperate + -ion.

This word in other languages

desesperación(Español)désespoir(Français)Verzweiflung(Deutsch)desespero(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

ddesperation
depseration
desepration
despeartion
desperaiton
desperasion
desperatino
desperationn
desperatoin
desperattion
desperration
despertaion
despperation
despreation
dessperation
dseperation
edsperation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of desperation - 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.

Edit distance from "desperation"

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 "desperation"?

"desperation" is spelled D-E-S-P-E-R-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌdɛspəˈɹeɪʃən/.

What does "desperation" mean?

As a noun, "desperation" means: The act of despairing or becoming desperate; a giving up of hope.

What words are commonly confused with "desperation"?

"desperation" is commonly confused with "desertion", "desecration". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "desperation"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "desperation" is /ˌdɛspəˈɹeɪʃən/. 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 "desperation"?

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 “desperation”

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

The one correct English spelling is D-E-S-P-E-R-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˌdɛspəˈɹeɪʃən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Don't mix it up with “desertion” - see the side-by-side comparison. desperation vs desertion
Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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.