disadvantage
/ˌdɪsədˈvæntɪd͡ʒ/noun, verb
disadvantage is spelled D-I-S-A-D-V-A-N-T-A-G-E: 12 letters and 4 syllables. It appears 5.1 times per million words in written English, the 11,015th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, disadvantage means “A weakness or undesirable characteristic; con; drawback” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of disadvantage is disadvantages.
How many letters and syllables are in disadvantage?
| Letters | 12: D-I-S-A-D-V-A-N-T-A-G-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 5.1 times per million words; the 11,015th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is disadvantage?
Disadvantage appears 5.1 times per million words in written English, the 11,015th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce disadvantage?
- UK /ˌdɪsədˈvɑːntɪdʒ/
- US /ˌdɪsədˈvæntɪd͡ʒ/
Disadvantage has 4 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-disadvantage.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with disadvantage?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as disadvantage from its last stressed vowel (/æntɪdʒ/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of disadvantage
- disadvantages plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- disadvantaging participle, present
- disadvantaged participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does disadvantage mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A weakness or undesirable characteristic; con; drawback.
The disadvantage to owning a food processor is that you have to store it somewhere.
- 2
A setback or handicap.
My height is a disadvantage for reaching high shelves.
- 3
Loss; detriment; hindrance.
verb
- 1
To place at a disadvantage.
They fear it might disadvantage honest participants to allow automated entries.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Disadvantage in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense weakness:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | désavantage |
| German | Nachteil |
| Portuguese | desvantagem |
| Spanish | desventaja |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does disadvantage come from?
From Middle English disavauntage, from Old French desavantage.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).