dispersion

/dɪˈspɜːʒən/

//dɪˈspɜːʒən// noun

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

"dispersion" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dispersion” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #22,954 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#22,954
frequency rank, English
10
letters
16
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The state of being dispersed.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

dispersion vs diversion
80% similar
dispersion vs dissension
80% similar

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

Key facts for dispersion
PropertyValue
Headworddispersion
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/dɪˈspɜːʒən/
Letters10
Frequency rank#22,954
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dispersion” 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). dispersion 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 dispersion is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɪˈspɜːʒən/. Corpus data places it at rank #22,954 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 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for dispersion, with forms such as "ddispersion", "dipsersion", and "diseprsion". 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, "diversion", "dissension", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English dispersioun, from Old French dispersion, from Latin dispersiō. The correct English form is dispersion, spelled D-I-S-P-E-R-S-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The state of being dispersed.
  2. 2
    A process of dispersing.
  3. 3
    The degree of scatter of data.
  4. 4
    The separation of waves of different frequency in space or time; the amount of such separation.
  5. 5
    The removal of inflammation.

Etymology

From Middle English dispersioun, from Old French dispersion, from Latin dispersiō.

This word in other languages

dispersion(Français)Verteilung(Deutsch)dispersão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddispersion,dipsersion,diseprsion,disperison,disperrsion,dispersino,dispersionn,dispersoin,disperssion,dispertion,dispesrion,disppersion,dispresion,disspersion,dsipersion,idspersion

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddispersion1dipsersion2diseprsion2disperison2disperrsion1dispersino2dispersionn1dispersoin2
Edit distance from "dispersion"

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 "dispersion"?
"dispersion" is spelled D-I-S-P-E-R-S-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈspɜːʒən/.
What does "dispersion" mean?
As a noun, "dispersion" means: The state of being dispersed.
What words are commonly confused with "dispersion"?
"dispersion" is commonly confused with "diversion", "dissension". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dispersion"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dispersion" is /dɪˈspɜːʒən/. 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 "dispersion"?
From Middle English dispersioun, from Old French dispersion, from Latin dispersiō. 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 “dispersion”

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

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