displace

/dɪsˈpleɪs/

//dɪsˈpleɪs// verb

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

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

The verdict

“displace” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #30,005 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#30,005
frequency rank, English
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To put out of place; to disarrange.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

displace vs display
75% similar
displace vs displays
75% similar
displace vs displayed
78% similar

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

Key facts for displace
PropertyValue
Headworddisplace
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dɪsˈpleɪs/
Letters8
Frequency rank#30,005
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “displace” 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). displace 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 displace is 8 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɪsˈpleɪs/. Corpus data places it at rank #30,005 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 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 displace, with forms such as "ddisplace", "dipslace", and "dislpace". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "display", "displays", "displayed", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French desplacer (French: déplacer). The correct English form is displace, spelled D-I-S-P-L-A-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To put out of place; to disarrange.
  2. 2
    To move something, or someone, especially to forcibly move people from their homeland.
  3. 3
    To supplant, or take the place of something or someone; to substitute.
  4. 4
    To replace, on account of being superior to or more suitable than that which is being replaced.
  5. 5
    To have a weight equal to that of the water displaced.
  6. 6
    To repress.

Etymology

From Middle French desplacer (French: déplacer).

This word in other languages

desahuciar(Español)umsiedeln(Deutsch)deslocar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddisplace,dipslace,dislpace,dispalce,displacce,displaec,displcae,displlace,dispplace,dissplace,dsiplace,idsplace

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of displace - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ddisplace1dipslace2dislpace2dispalce2displacce1displaec2displcae2displlace1
Edit distance from "displace"

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 "displace"?
"displace" is spelled D-I-S-P-L-A-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪsˈpleɪs/.
What does "displace" mean?
As a verb, "displace" means: To put out of place; to disarrange.
What words are commonly confused with "displace"?
"displace" is commonly confused with "display", "displays", "displayed". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "displace"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "displace" is /dɪsˈpleɪs/. 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 "displace"?
From Middle French desplacer (French: déplacer). 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 “displace”

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

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