dispatch

/dɪˈspætʃ/

//dɪˈspætʃ// verb

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

"dispatch" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dispatch” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #10,198. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#10,198
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To send (a shipment) with promptness.

Corpus desk

Index EN-dispatch · dispatch · English

dispatch · rank #10,198 · 13 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #10,198
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH discharged

Nearest frequency peer: discharged (-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 “dispatch”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “dispatch” 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).

dispatch vs dispatcher
80% similar
dispatch vs despatch
88% similar

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

Key facts for dispatch
PropertyValue
Headworddispatch
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dɪˈspætʃ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#10,198
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “dispatch”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).dispatchlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “discharged” (#10,197), “disputed” (#10,199), “dots” (#10,200). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “dispatch” is #10,198. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around dispatch (IPA /dɪˈspætʃ/), averb. Corpus frequency is #10,198 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 12 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for dispatch, with forms such as "ddispatch", "dipsatch", and "disaptch". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "dispatcher", "despatch", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Spanish despachar or Italian dispacciare, replacing alternate reflex depeach, which is from French dépêcher. Further, several steps omitting, from Latin dis- + impedicō (whence impeach). The first known use in writing (in the past tense, spell… The correct English form is dispatch, spelled D-I-S-P-A-T-C-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    To send (a shipment) with promptness.
  2. 2
    To send (a person) away hastily.
  3. 3
    To send (an important official message) promptly, by means of a diplomat or military officer.
  4. 4
    To send (a journalist) to a place in order to report.
  5. 5
    To dispose of speedily, as business; to execute quickly; to make a speedy end of; to finish; to perform.
  6. 6
    To eat, especially quickly.
  7. 7
    To rid; to free.
  8. 8
    To destroy (someone or something) quickly and efficiently.
  9. 9
    To defeat
  10. 10
    To pass on for further processing, especially via a dispatch table (often with to).
  11. 11
    To hurry.
  12. 12
    To deprive.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The League of One was suddenly exposed and in danger of being hunted by enemies of the salarians. Before any harm could be done, the team mysteriously disappeared.[...]Realizing the threat posed by this rogue outfit, the Special Tasks Group dispatched a team of hunters. When they didn't return, the STG dispatched ten of its brightest operators with broad…
  2. Scores of foreign journalists have been dispatched to Seoul to report on the growing tensions between the two Koreas and the possibility of war.

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish despachar or Italian dispacciare, replacing alternate reflex depeach, which is from French dépêcher. Further, several steps omitting, from Latin dis- + impedicō (whence impeach). The first known use in writing (in the past tense, spelled as dispached) is by Bishop Cuthbert Tunstall in 1517. This would be unusually early for a borrowing from a Romance language other than French, but Tunstall had studied in Italy and was Commissioner to Spain, so this word may have been borrowed through diplomatic circles. The alternative spelling despatch was introduced in Samuel Johnson's dictionary, probably by accident. Compare typologically deliver (for the meaning to bring or transport) (< Latin dē- + līberō).

Synonyms

make hastesend

This word in other languages

despachar(Español)verschicken(Deutsch)despachar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddispatch
  • dipsatch
  • disaptch
  • dispacth
  • dispatcch
  • dispatchh
  • dispathc
  • dispattch
  • disppatch
  • disptach
  • disspatch
  • dsipatch
  • idspatch

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddispatch1dipsatch2disaptch2dispacth2dispatcch1dispatchh1dispathc2dispattch1
Edit distance from "dispatch"

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 "dispatch"?
"dispatch" is spelled D-I-S-P-A-T-C-H. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈspætʃ/.
What does "dispatch" mean?
As a verb, "dispatch" means: To send (a shipment) with promptness.
What words are commonly confused with "dispatch"?
"dispatch" is commonly confused with "dispatcher", "despatch". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dispatch"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dispatch" is /dɪˈspætʃ/. 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 "dispatch"?
Borrowed from Spanish despachar or Italian dispacciare, replacing alternate reflex depeach, which is from French dépêcher. Further, several steps omitting, from Latin dis- + impedicō (whence impeach). The first known use in writing (in the past te... 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 "dispatch", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

disputed#10,199dementia#10,190catalyst#10,177heavenly#10,222

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

billionaire13 variantsadmissions13 variantsaccountant13 variantsvalentine13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list