dismiss

/dɪsˈmɪs/

//dɪsˈmɪs// verb

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

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

The verdict

“dismiss” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #8,922. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#8,922
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To discharge; to end the employment or service of.

Corpus desk

Index EN-dismiss · dismiss · English

dismiss · rank #8,922 · 9 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #8,922
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH diagram

Nearest frequency peer: diagram (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “dismiss”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “dismiss” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

dismiss vs dismissed
78% similar
dismiss vs dismissal
78% similar
dismiss vs discuss
71% similar

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

Key facts for dismiss
PropertyValue
Headworddismiss
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dɪsˈmɪs/
Letters7
Frequency rank#8,922
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dismiss” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).dismisslands 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 “diagram” (#8,921), “editions” (#8,923), “devastating” (#8,920). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around dismiss (IPA /dɪsˈmɪs/), averb. Corpus frequency is #8,922 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for dismiss, with forms such as "ddismiss", "dimsiss", and "disimss". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "dismissed", "dismissal", "discuss", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Middle English, from Latin dimissus (“sent away, dismissed, banished”), perfect passive participle of dīmittō (“send away, dismiss”), from dis- + mittere (“to send”). The correct English form is dismiss, spelled D-I-S-M-I-S-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    To discharge; to end the employment or service of.
  2. 2
    To order to leave.
  3. 3
    To dispel; to rid one’s mind of.
  4. 4
    To reject; to refuse to accept.
  5. 5
    To invalidate; to treat as unworthy of serious consideration.
  6. 6
    To send or put away, to discard with disregard, contempt or disdain. (sometimes followed by as).
  7. 7
    To get a batsman out.
  8. 8
    To give someone a red card; to send off.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The company dismissed me after less than a year.
  2. The soldiers were dismissed after the parade.

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin dimissus (“sent away, dismissed, banished”), perfect passive participle of dīmittō (“send away, dismiss”), from dis- + mittere (“to send”).

Synonyms

lay off

This word in other languages

despedir(Español)renvoyer(Français)entlassen(Deutsch)demitir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddismiss
  • dimsiss
  • disimss
  • dismis
  • dismmiss
  • dismsis
  • dissmiss
  • dsimiss
  • idsmiss

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddismiss1dimsiss2disimss2dismis1dismmiss1dismsis2dissmiss1dsimiss2
Edit distance from "dismiss"

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 "dismiss"?
"dismiss" is spelled D-I-S-M-I-S-S. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪsˈmɪs/.
What does "dismiss" mean?
As a verb, "dismiss" means: To discharge; to end the employment or service of.
What words are commonly confused with "dismiss"?
"dismiss" is commonly confused with "dismissed", "dismissal", "discuss". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dismiss"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dismiss" is /dɪsˈmɪs/. 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 "dismiss"?
Middle English, from Latin dimissus (“sent away, dismissed, banished”), perfect passive participle of dīmittō (“send away, dismiss”), from dis- + mittere (“to send”). 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 "dismiss", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

diagram#8,921erected#8,924farther#8,926climbed#8,910

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

cowboy9 variantscarriage9 variantsheavier9 variantsblogger9 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "dismiss". Here's where to go from here.

  • "dismiss" maps to 3 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "dismissed". View pair
  • 9 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #8,922 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "D" letter cohort. D–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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