disavow

/dɪsəˈvaʊ/

//dɪsəˈvaʊ// verb

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

"disavow" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“disavow” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #47,018. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#47,018
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To strongly and solemnly refuse to own or acknowledge; to deny responsibility for, approbation of, and the like.

Corpus desk

Index EN-disavow · disavow · English

disavow · rank #47,018 · 10 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #47,018
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH discordant

Nearest frequency peer: discordant (+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 “disavow”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “disavow” 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).

disavow vs disavowed
78% similar
disavow vs disallow
75% similar

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

Key facts for disavow
PropertyValue
Headworddisavow
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dɪsəˈvaʊ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#47,018
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “disavow”

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).disavowlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “discordant” (#47,019), “dirtbag” (#47,016), “distrustful” (#47,021). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “disavow” is #47,018. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around disavow (IPA /dɪsəˈvaʊ/), averb. Corpus frequency is #47,018 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for disavow, with forms such as "ddisavow", "diasvow", and "disaovw". 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, "disavowed", "disallow", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From dis- + avow, or from Old French desavouer. The correct English form is disavow, spelled D-I-S-A-V-O-W.

Definition

  1. 1
    To strongly and solemnly refuse to own or acknowledge; to deny responsibility for, approbation of, and the like.
  2. 2
    To deny; to show the contrary of; to deny legitimacy or achievement of any kind.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He was charged with embezzlement, but he disavows the crime.
  2. Because of her dissatisfaction, she now disavows the merits of fascism.

Etymology

From dis- + avow, or from Old French desavouer.

This word in other languages

repudiar(Español)désavouer(Français)abstreiten(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddisavow
  • diasvow
  • disaovw
  • disavoww
  • disavvow
  • disavwo
  • dissavow
  • disvaow
  • dsiavow
  • idsavow

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddisavow1diasvow2disaovw2disavoww1disavvow1disavwo2dissavow1disvaow2
Edit distance from "disavow"

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 "disavow"?
"disavow" is spelled D-I-S-A-V-O-W. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪsəˈvaʊ/.
What does "disavow" mean?
As a verb, "disavow" means: To strongly and solemnly refuse to own or acknowledge; to deny responsibility for, approbation of, and the like.
What words are commonly confused with "disavow"?
"disavow" is commonly confused with "disavowed", "disallow". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "disavow"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "disavow" is /dɪsəˈvaʊ/. 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 "disavow"?
From dis- + avow, or from Old French desavouer. 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 "disavow", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

dirtbag#47,016dualism#47,028cupping#47,004Crassus#46,997

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

deferral10 variantsClarice10 variantsclamour10 variantsfancier10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list