disappoint

/dɪsəˈpɔɪnt/

//dɪsəˈpɔɪnt// verb

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

"disappoint" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“disappoint” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #11,684 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#11,684
frequency rank, English
10
letters
13
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To sadden or displease (someone) by underperforming, or by not delivering something promised or hoped for.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

disappoint vs disappointed
83% similar

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

Key facts for disappoint
PropertyValue
Headworddisappoint
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dɪsəˈpɔɪnt/
Letters10
Frequency rank#11,684
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “disappoint” 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). disappoint 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 disappoint is 10 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɪsəˈpɔɪnt/. Corpus data places it at rank #11,684 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for disappoint, with forms such as "ddisappoint", "diasppoint", and "disapoint". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "disappointed", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French desapointer (compare French désappointer). The word originally meant to "dispossess of appointed office", and eventually broadened to mean "to frustrate the expectations or desires of" and "defeat the realization or fulfillment of". The correct English form is disappoint, spelled D-I-S-A-P-P-O-I-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To sadden or displease (someone) by underperforming, or by not delivering something promised or hoped for.
  2. 2
    To deprive (someone of something expected or hoped for).
  3. 3
    To fail to meet (an expectation); to fail to fulfil (a hope).
  4. 4
    To show (an opinion, belief, etc.) to be mistaken.
  5. 5
    To prevent (something planned or attempted).

Etymology

From Middle French desapointer (compare French désappointer). The word originally meant to "dispossess of appointed office", and eventually broadened to mean "to frustrate the expectations or desires of" and "defeat the realization or fulfillment of".

Antonyms

satisfy

This word in other languages

defraudar(Español)décevoir(Français)enttäuschen(Deutsch)desapontar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddisappoint,diasppoint,disapoint,disapopint,disappiont,disappoinnt,disappointt,disappoitn,disapponit,dispapoint,dissappoint,dsiappoint,idsappoint

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddisappoint1diasppoint2disapoint1disapopint2disappiont2disappoinnt1disappointt1disappoitn2
Edit distance from "disappoint"

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 "disappoint"?
"disappoint" is spelled D-I-S-A-P-P-O-I-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪsəˈpɔɪnt/.
What does "disappoint" mean?
As a verb, "disappoint" means: To sadden or displease (someone) by underperforming, or by not delivering something promised or hoped for.
What words are commonly confused with "disappoint"?
"disappoint" is commonly confused with "disappointed". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "disappoint"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "disappoint" is /dɪsəˈpɔɪnt/. 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 "disappoint"?
From Middle French desapointer (compare French désappointer). The word originally meant to "dispossess of appointed office", and eventually broadened to mean "to frustrate the expectations or desires of" and "defeat the realization or fulfillment ... 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 “disappoint”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-I-S-A-P-P-O-I-N-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /dɪsəˈpɔɪnt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “disappointed” - see the side-by-side comparison. disappoint vs disappointed
  • 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