dispense

/dɪˈspɛns/

//dɪˈspɛns// verb

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

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

The verdict

“dispense” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #25,039 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#25,039
frequency rank, English
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To issue, distribute, or give out.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

dispense vs dispose
75% similar
dispense vs disperse
88% similar
dispense vs dispersed
78% similar

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

Key facts for dispense
PropertyValue
Headworddispense
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dɪˈspɛns/
Letters8
Frequency rank#25,039
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dispense” 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). dispense lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for dispense is 8 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɪˈspɛns/. Corpus data places it at rank #25,039 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for dispense, with forms such as "ddispense", "dipsense", and "disepnse". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "dispose", "disperse", "dispersed", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English, from Old French dispenser, from Latin dispēnsāre (“to weigh out, pay out, distribute, regulate, manage, control, dispense”), frequentative of dispendere (“to weigh out”), from dis- (“apart”) + pendere (“to weigh”). The correct English form is dispense, spelled D-I-S-P-E-N-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To issue, distribute, or give out.
  2. 2
    To apply, as laws to particular cases; to administer; to execute; to manage; to direct.
  3. 3
    To supply or make up a medicine or prescription.
  4. 4
    To give a dispensation to (someone); to excuse.
  5. 5
    To compensate; to make up; to make amends.

Etymology

From Middle English, from Old French dispenser, from Latin dispēnsāre (“to weigh out, pay out, distribute, regulate, manage, control, dispense”), frequentative of dispendere (“to weigh out”), from dis- (“apart”) + pendere (“to weigh”).

This word in other languages

administrar(Español)émettre(Français)ausgeben(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddispense,dipsense,disepnse,dispenes,dispennse,dispensse,dispesne,dispnese,disppense,disspense,dsipense,idspense

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddispense1dipsense2disepnse2dispenes2dispennse1dispensse1dispesne2dispnese2
Edit distance from "dispense"

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 "dispense"?
"dispense" is spelled D-I-S-P-E-N-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈspɛns/.
What does "dispense" mean?
As a verb, "dispense" means: To issue, distribute, or give out.
What words are commonly confused with "dispense"?
"dispense" is commonly confused with "dispose", "disperse", "dispersed". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dispense"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dispense" is /dɪˈspɛns/. 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 "dispense"?
From Middle English, from Old French dispenser, from Latin dispēnsāre (“to weigh out, pay out, distribute, regulate, manage, control, dispense”), frequentative of dispendere (“to weigh out”), from dis- (“apart”) + pendere (“to weigh”). 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 “dispense”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-I-S-P-E-N-S-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /dɪˈspɛns/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “dispose” - see the side-by-side comparison. dispense vs dispose
  • 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list