disingenuous

/ˌdɪs.ɪnˈd͡ʒɛn.ju.əs/

//ˌdɪs.ɪnˈd͡ʒɛn.ju.əs// adj

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

"disingenuous" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“disingenuous” has 17 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #30,767. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#30,767
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
17
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Not honourable; unworthy of honour.

Corpus desk

Index EN-disingenuous · disingenuous · English

disingenuous · rank #30,767 · 17 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #30,767
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 17 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH disconcerting

Nearest frequency peer: disconcerting (-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 “disingenuous”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “disingenuous” 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 disingenuous
PropertyValue
Headworddisingenuous
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˌdɪs.ɪnˈd͡ʒɛn.ju.əs/
Letters12
Frequency rank#30,767
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “disingenuous”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).disingenuouslands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “disconcerting” (#30,766), “dissipate” (#30,768), “didi” (#30,764). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “disingenuous” is #30,767. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 17 spelling variants around disingenuous (IPA /ˌdɪs.ɪnˈd͡ʒɛn.ju.əs/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #30,767 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for disingenuous, with forms such as "ddisingenuous", "diisngenuous", and "disignenuous". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From dis- + ingenuous. The correct English form is disingenuous, spelled D-I-S-I-N-G-E-N-U-O-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Not honourable; unworthy of honour.
  2. 2
    Not ingenuous; not frank or open.
  3. 3
    Assuming a pose of naïveté to make a point or for deception.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I am not so vain as to think these Remarks free from faults, nor so disingenuous as not to confess them:
  2. But was it responsible governance to pass the Longitude Act without other efforts to protect British seamen? Or might it have been subterfuge—a disingenuous attempt to shift attention away from the realities of their life at sea.

Etymology

From dis- + ingenuous.

This word in other languages

falso(Español)sournois(Français)unaufrichtig(Deutsch)vil(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddisingenuous
  • diisngenuous
  • disignenuous
  • disinegnuous
  • disingennuous
  • disingenouus
  • disingenuosu
  • disingenuouss
  • disingenuuos
  • disingeunous
  • disinggenuous
  • disingneuous
  • disinngenuous
  • disnigenuous
  • dissingenuous
  • dsiingenuous
  • idsingenuous

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddisingenuous1diisngenuous2disignenuous2disinegnuous2disingennuous1disingenouus2disingenuosu2disingenuouss1
Edit distance from "disingenuous"

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 "disingenuous"?
"disingenuous" is spelled D-I-S-I-N-G-E-N-U-O-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌdɪs.ɪnˈd͡ʒɛn.ju.əs/.
What does "disingenuous" mean?
As an adjective, "disingenuous" means: Not honourable; unworthy of honour.
What are common misspellings of "disingenuous"?
Common misspellings include "ddisingenuous", "diisngenuous", "disignenuous", "disinegnuous", "disingennuous". The correct spelling is "disingenuous".
How do you pronounce "disingenuous"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "disingenuous" is /ˌdɪs.ɪnˈd͡ʒɛn.ju.əs/. 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 "disingenuous"?
From dis- + ingenuous. 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 "disingenuous", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 12 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

enterprising#30,783extravaganza#30,790coincidental#30,736invisibility#30,850

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (17 here; floor ≥5).

inexcusable17 variantsNeanderthal17 variantsobstructive17 variantsunforgiving17 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list