dispensation

/dɪsˌpɛnˈseɪʃən/

//dɪsˌpɛnˈseɪʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“dispensation” has 19 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #34,859. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#34,859
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
19
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act of dispensing or dealing out; distribution

Corpus desk

Index EN-dispensation · dispensation · English

dispensation · rank #34,859 · 19 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #34,859
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 19 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH dike

Nearest frequency peer: dike (-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 “dispensation”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “dispensation” 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 dispensation
PropertyValue
Headworddispensation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/dɪsˌpɛnˈseɪʃən/
Letters12
Frequency rank#34,859
Misspellings tracked19
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “dispensation”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).dispensationlands 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 “dike” (#34,858), “dit” (#34,860), “DevOps” (#34,857). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “dispensation” is #34,859. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 19 spelling variants around dispensation (IPA /dɪsˌpɛnˈseɪʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #34,859 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 19 likely wrong-spelling variants for dispensation, with forms such as "ddispensation", "dipsensation", and "disepnsation". 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. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Old French despensacion, from Latin dispensātiō. By surface analysis, dispens(e) + -ation. The correct English form is dispensation, spelled D-I-S-P-E-N-S-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of dispensing or dealing out; distribution
  2. 2
    The distribution of good and evil by God to man.
  3. 3
    That which is dispensed, dealt out, or given; that which is bestowed on someone
  4. 4
    A system of principles, promises, and rules ordained and administered; scheme; economy
  5. 5
    The relaxation of a law in a particular case; permission to do something forbidden, or to omit doing something enjoined; exemption.
  6. 6
    The relaxation of a law in a particular case; permission to do something forbidden, or to omit doing something enjoined; exemption.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. a fair dispensation of money
  2. The public's health is hardly improved by compounding the existing problem with the dispensation of undocumented, partially true or totally false material.

Etymology

From Old French despensacion, from Latin dispensātiō. By surface analysis, dispens(e) + -ation.

This word in other languages

dispensación(Español)dérogation(Français)Gegebenheiten(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddispensation
  • dipsensation
  • disepnsation
  • dispenastion
  • dispennsation
  • dispensaiton
  • dispensasion
  • dispensatino
  • dispensationn
  • dispensatoin
  • dispensattion
  • dispenssation
  • dispenstaion
  • dispesnation
  • dispnesation
  • disppensation
  • disspensation
  • dsipensation
  • idspensation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddispensation1dipsensation2disepnsation2dispenastion2dispennsation1dispensaiton2dispensasion1dispensatino2
Edit distance from "dispensation"

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 "dispensation"?
"dispensation" is spelled D-I-S-P-E-N-S-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪsˌpɛnˈseɪʃən/.
What does "dispensation" mean?
As a noun, "dispensation" means: The act of dispensing or dealing out; distribution
What are common misspellings of "dispensation"?
Common misspellings include "ddispensation", "dipsensation", "disepnsation", "dispenastion", "dispennsation". The correct spelling is "dispensation".
How do you pronounce "dispensation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dispensation" is /dɪsˌpɛnˈseɪʃən/. 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 "dispensation"?
From Old French despensacion, from Latin dispensātiō. By surface analysis, dispens(e) + -ation. 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 "dispensation", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

exploitative#34,880conformation#34,837chiropractor#34,824immeasurable#34,928

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (19 here; floor ≥5).

indisputable19 variantswelterweight19 variantslighthearted19 variantsAberystwyth19 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list