dishonest

/dɪˈsɒnɪst/

//dɪˈsɒnɪst// adj

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

"dishonest" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dishonest” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #14,515. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#14,515
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Not honest; shoddy.

Corpus desk

Index EN-dishonest · dishonest · English

dishonest · rank #14,515 · 14 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #14,515
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH disconnected

Nearest frequency peer: disconnected (-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 “dishonest”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “dishonest” 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).

dishonest vs dishonesty
90% similar

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

Key facts for dishonest
PropertyValue
Headworddishonest
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/dɪˈsɒnɪst/
Letters9
Frequency rank#14,515
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “dishonest”

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).dishonestlands 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 “disconnected” (#14,514), “dosage” (#14,516), “disable” (#14,513). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “dishonest” is #14,515. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around dishonest (IPA /dɪˈsɒnɪst/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #14,515 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for dishonest, with forms such as "ddishonest", "dihsonest", and "dishhonest". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "dishonesty", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English dishoneste (“dishonourable”), from Old French deshoneste, from Latin dehonestus. Equivalent to dis- + honest. Displaced native Old English unsōþfæst. The correct English form is dishonest, spelled D-I-S-H-O-N-E-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Not honest; shoddy.
  2. 2
    Interfering with honesty.
  3. 3
    Dishonorable; shameful; indecent; unchaste; lewd.
  4. 4
    Dishonoured; disgraced; disfigured.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. “Watch how totally dishonest the California Prop vote is!” Trump fumed on Truth Social over the weekend.
  2. inglorious triumphs and dishonest scars

Etymology

From Middle English dishoneste (“dishonourable”), from Old French deshoneste, from Latin dehonestus. Equivalent to dis- + honest. Displaced native Old English unsōþfæst.

Antonyms

honest

This word in other languages

embustero(Español)malhonnête(Français)unehrlich(Deutsch)desonesto(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddishonest
  • dihsonest
  • dishhonest
  • dishnoest
  • dishoenst
  • dishonesst
  • dishonestt
  • dishonets
  • dishonnest
  • dishonset
  • disohnest
  • disshonest
  • dsihonest
  • idshonest

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of dishonest - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ddishonest1dihsonest2dishhonest1dishnoest2dishoenst2dishonesst1dishonestt1dishonets2
Edit distance from "dishonest"

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 "dishonest"?
"dishonest" is spelled D-I-S-H-O-N-E-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈsɒnɪst/.
What does "dishonest" mean?
As an adjective, "dishonest" means: Not honest; shoddy.
What words are commonly confused with "dishonest"?
"dishonest" is commonly confused with "dishonesty". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dishonest"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dishonest" is /dɪˈsɒnɪst/. 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 "dishonest"?
From Middle English dishoneste (“dishonourable”), from Old French deshoneste, from Latin dehonestus. Equivalent to dis- + honest. Displaced native Old English unsōþfæst. 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 "dishonest", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

detecting#14,510endowment#14,521exercised#14,528completes#14,494

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

footprint14 variantsforefront14 variantsinitiation14 variantsadrenaline14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list