dissatisfy

/dɪsˈsætɪsfaɪ/

//dɪsˈsætɪsfaɪ// verb

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

The verdict

“dissatisfy” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To fail to satisfy; to displease.

Key facts for dissatisfy
PropertyValue
Headworddissatisfy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dɪsˈsætɪsfaɪ/
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dissatisfy” sits in English frequency

dissatisfy falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for dissatisfy is 10 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɪsˈsætɪsfaɪ/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "To fail to satisfy; to displease.".

No generated misspelling entries exist for dissatisfy in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From dis- + satisfy. The correct English form is dissatisfy, spelled D-I-S-S-A-T-I-S-F-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    To fail to satisfy; to displease.

Etymology

From dis- + satisfy.

Synonyms

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "dissatisfy"?
"dissatisfy" is spelled D-I-S-S-A-T-I-S-F-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪsˈsætɪsfaɪ/.
What does "dissatisfy" mean?
As a verb, "dissatisfy" means: To fail to satisfy; to displease.
How do you pronounce "dissatisfy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dissatisfy" is /dɪsˈsætɪsfaɪ/. 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 "dissatisfy"?
From dis- + satisfy. 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 “dissatisfy”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-I-S-S-A-T-I-S-F-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /dɪsˈsætɪsfaɪ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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