disparity

/dɪsˈpæɹɪti/

//dɪsˈpæɹɪti// noun

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

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

The verdict

“disparity” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #16,692. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#16,692
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The state of being unequal; difference.

Corpus desk

Index EN-disparity · disparity · English

disparity · rank #16,692 · 14 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #16,692
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH Dickinson

Nearest frequency peer: Dickinson (-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 “disparity”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “disparity” 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).

disparity vs disparate
78% similar

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

Key facts for disparity
PropertyValue
Headworddisparity
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/dɪsˈpæɹɪti/
Letters9
Frequency rank#16,692
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “disparity”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Dickinson” (#16,691), “diva” (#16,693), “divert” (#16,694). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “disparity” is #16,692. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around disparity (IPA /dɪsˈpæɹɪti/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #16,692 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for disparity, with forms such as "ddisparity", "dipsarity", and "disaprity". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "disparate", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French disparité, from Latin disparitātem, accusative of disparitās, from dispār + -tās, from dis- + pār. By surface analysis, dis- + parity. The correct English form is disparity, spelled D-I-S-P-A-R-I-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The state of being unequal; difference.
  2. 2
    Incongruity.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. With no great disparity between them in point of years, they were, in every other respect, as unlike and far removed from each other as two men could well be. The one was soft-spoken, delicately made, precise, and elegant; the other, a burly square-built man, negligently dressed, rough and abrupt in manner, stern, and, in his present mood, forbidding both…
  2. There was a disparity of view over the use of diesel or electric motive power for the route south of Crewe, and the Prime Minister even felt a modern design of steam locomotives would be the best solution.

Etymology

From Middle French disparité, from Latin disparitātem, accusative of disparitās, from dispār + -tās, from dis- + pār. By surface analysis, dis- + parity.

Synonyms

unalikeness

This word in other languages

disparidad(Español)disparité(Français)Differenz(Deutsch)disparidade(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddisparity
  • dipsarity
  • disaprity
  • dispairty
  • disparitty
  • disparityy
  • dispariyt
  • disparrity
  • dispartiy
  • dispparity
  • dispraity
  • dissparity
  • dsiparity
  • idsparity

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddisparity1dipsarity2disaprity2dispairty2disparitty1disparityy1dispariyt2disparrity1
Edit distance from "disparity"

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 "disparity"?
"disparity" is spelled D-I-S-P-A-R-I-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪsˈpæɹɪti/.
What does "disparity" mean?
As a noun, "disparity" means: The state of being unequal; difference.
What words are commonly confused with "disparity"?
"disparity" is commonly confused with "disparate". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "disparity"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "disparity" is /dɪsˈpæɹɪti/. 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 "disparity"?
From Middle French disparité, from Latin disparitātem, accusative of disparitās, from dispār + -tās, from dis- + pār. By surface analysis, dis- + parity. 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 "disparity", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Dickinson#16,691encrypted#16,701cultivate#16,677farmhouse#16,707

Similar misspelling depth

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

Greenland14 variantscamouflage14 variantsintrusion14 variantslivelihood14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list