disinherit

/ˌdɪsɪnˈhɛɹɪt/

//ˌdɪsɪnˈhɛɹɪt// verb

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

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

The verdict

“disinherit” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To exclude from inheritance; to disown.

Key facts for disinherit
PropertyValue
Headworddisinherit
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˌdɪsɪnˈhɛɹɪt/
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “disinherit” sits in English frequency

disinherit falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

disinherit is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /ˌdɪsɪnˈhɛɹɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "To exclude from inheritance; to disown.".

No generated misspelling entries exist for disinherit in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English disenheriten, equivalent to dis- + inherit. The correct English form is disinherit, spelled D-I-S-I-N-H-E-R-I-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To exclude from inheritance; to disown.

Etymology

From Middle English disenheriten, equivalent to dis- + inherit.

Synonyms

cut off

This word in other languages

desheredar(Español)déshériter(Français)enterben(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "disinherit"?
"disinherit" is spelled D-I-S-I-N-H-E-R-I-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌdɪsɪnˈhɛɹɪt/.
What does "disinherit" mean?
As a verb, "disinherit" means: To exclude from inheritance; to disown.
How do you pronounce "disinherit"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "disinherit" is /ˌdɪsɪnˈhɛɹɪt/. 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 "disinherit"?
From Middle English disenheriten, equivalent to dis- + inherit. 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.

Using “disinherit”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is D-I-S-I-N-H-E-R-I-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌdɪsɪnˈhɛɹɪt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list