disapprove

/dɪsəˈpɹuːv/

//dɪsəˈpɹuːv// verb

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

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

The verdict

“disapprove” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #24,729. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#24,729
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To condemn; to consider wrong or inappropriate; used with of.

Corpus desk

Index EN-disapprove · disapprove · English

disapprove · rank #24,729 · 13 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #24,729
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH Dobson

Nearest frequency peer: Dobson (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “disapprove”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “disapprove” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

disapprove vs disprove
80% similar
disapprove vs disapproval
82% similar

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

Key facts for disapprove
PropertyValue
Headworddisapprove
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dɪsəˈpɹuːv/
Letters10
Frequency rank#24,729
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “disapprove”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).disapprovelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Dobson” (#24,730), “deodorant” (#24,726), “dormitory” (#24,732). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “disapprove” is #24,729. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around disapprove (IPA /dɪsəˈpɹuːv/), averb. Corpus frequency is #24,729 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for disapprove, with forms such as "ddisapprove", "diaspprove", and "disapporve". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "disprove", "disapproval", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From dis- + approve. The correct English form is disapprove, spelled D-I-S-A-P-P-R-O-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To condemn; to consider wrong or inappropriate; used with of.
  2. 2
    To have or express an unfavorable opinion.
  3. 3
    To refuse to approve; reject.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how disapprove appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. She disapproves of rap music because of its sometimes aggressive lyrics.
  2. The nationalist not only does not disapprove of atrocities committed by his own side, but he has a remarkable capacity for not even hearing about them.

Etymology

From dis- + approve.

Antonyms

approve

This word in other languages

désapprouver(Français)missbilligen(Deutsch)desaprovar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddisapprove
  • diaspprove
  • disapporve
  • disapproev
  • disapprovve
  • disapprrove
  • disapprvoe
  • disaprove
  • disaprpove
  • dispaprove
  • dissapprove
  • dsiapprove
  • idsapprove

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of disapprove - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ddisapprove1diaspprove2disapporve2disapproev2disapprovve1disapprrove1disapprvoe2disaprove1
Edit distance from "disapprove"

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 "disapprove"?
"disapprove" is spelled D-I-S-A-P-P-R-O-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪsəˈpɹuːv/.
What does "disapprove" mean?
As a verb, "disapprove" means: To condemn; to consider wrong or inappropriate; used with of.
What words are commonly confused with "disapprove"?
"disapprove" is commonly confused with "disprove", "disapproval". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "disapprove"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "disapprove" is /dɪsəˈpɹuːv/. 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 "disapprove"?
From dis- + approve. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "disapprove", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

delinquent#24,724decisively#24,722criminally#24,716ethnically#24,742

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

deodorant13 variantsdredging13 variantscustodian13 variantschurning13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list