disastrous

/dɪˈzɑː.stɹəs/

//dɪˈzɑː.stɹəs// adj

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

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

The verdict

“disastrous” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #11,532. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#11,532
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Of the nature of a disaster; calamitous.

Corpus desk

Index EN-disastrous · disastrous · English

disastrous · rank #11,532 · 15 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #11,532
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH defect

Nearest frequency peer: defect (-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 “disastrous”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “disastrous” 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
Key facts for disastrous
PropertyValue
Headworddisastrous
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/dɪˈzɑː.stɹəs/
Letters10
Frequency rank#11,532
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “disastrous”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).disastrouslands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “defect” (#11,531), “displaying” (#11,533), “decreasing” (#11,530). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “disastrous” is #11,532. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around disastrous (IPA /dɪˈzɑː.stɹəs/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #11,532 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for disastrous, with forms such as "ddisastrous", "diasstrous", and "disasrtous". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From disaster + -ous, after Middle French desastreux (modern French désastreux; from desastre (modern French désastre, “disaster”; from des- + astre, a calque of Italian disastro) + -eux), itself after Italian disastroso, from disastro + -oso, from dis- (“a… The correct English form is disastrous, spelled D-I-S-A-S-T-R-O-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of the nature of a disaster; calamitous.
  2. 2
    Foreboding disaster; ill-omened.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. In addition, he was also able to reinforce the unease among progressive Democratic-leaning voters over Clinton’s disastrous pro-interventionist positions, thereby suppressing turnout and encouraging third party support in some key swing states that made the difference in his Electoral College victory.
  2. A fearsome sight it was to behold how he swelled in his wrath, and his eyes blazed like disastrous stars at midnight, and being wood with anger he gnashed his teeth till the froth stood at his lips and slavered down his chin.

Etymology

From disaster + -ous, after Middle French desastreux (modern French désastreux; from desastre (modern French désastre, “disaster”; from des- + astre, a calque of Italian disastro) + -eux), itself after Italian disastroso, from disastro + -oso, from dis- (“away, without”) (from Latin dis-) + astro (“star, planet”) (from Latin astrum (“star, celestial body”), from Ancient Greek ᾰ̓́στρον (ắstron)).

Synonyms

apocalypticcalamitouscataclysmalcataclysmiccatastrophicdeadlydebaculardestructivedevastatingdisadventurousdisastrouseradicativeextirpativefatalharmfullethalperniciousruinouswoeful

This word in other languages

desastroso(Español)désastreux(Français)desaströs(Deutsch)desastroso(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddisastrous
  • diasstrous
  • disasrtous
  • disasstrous
  • disastorus
  • disastrosu
  • disastrouss
  • disastrrous
  • disastruos
  • disasttrous
  • disatsrous
  • dissastrous
  • dissatrous
  • dsiastrous
  • idsastrous

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddisastrous1diasstrous2disasrtous2disasstrous1disastorus2disastrosu2disastrouss1disastrrous1
Edit distance from "disastrous"

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 "disastrous"?
"disastrous" is spelled D-I-S-A-S-T-R-O-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈzɑː.stɹəs/.
What does "disastrous" mean?
As an adjective, "disastrous" means: Of the nature of a disaster; calamitous.
What are common misspellings of "disastrous"?
Common misspellings include "ddisastrous", "diasstrous", "disasrtous", "disasstrous", "disastorus". The correct spelling is "disastrous".
How do you pronounce "disastrous"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "disastrous" is /dɪˈzɑː.stɹəs/. 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 "disastrous"?
From disaster + -ous, after Middle French desastreux (modern French désastreux; from desastre (modern French désastre, “disaster”; from des- + astre, a calque of Italian disastro) + -eux), itself after Italian disastroso, from disastro + -oso, fro... 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 "disastrous", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

displaying#11,533decreasing#11,530consortium#11,522simplified#11,463

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

separating15 variantstheatrical15 variantsobjections15 variantsvalidation15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list