disseminate

/dɪˈsɛmɪˌneɪt/

//dɪˈsɛmɪˌneɪt// verb

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

"disseminate" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“disseminate” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #27,814 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#27,814
frequency rank, English
11
letters
14
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To sow and scatter principles, ideas, opinions, etc, or concrete things, for growth and propagation, like seeds.

Key facts for disseminate
PropertyValue
Headworddisseminate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dɪˈsɛmɪˌneɪt/
Letters11
Frequency rank#27,814
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “disseminate” 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). disseminate 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 disseminate is 11 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɪˈsɛmɪˌneɪt/. Corpus data places it at rank #27,814 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for disseminate, with forms such as "ddisseminate", "diseminate", and "disesminate". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. 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: Borrowed from Latin dissēminātus, the perfect passive participle of dissēminō (“to broadcast, disseminate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), further from dis- (“asunder, in all directions”) + sēminō (“to plant, sow”), from sēmen (“seed”) + -ō (verb-forming… The correct English form is disseminate, spelled D-I-S-S-E-M-I-N-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To sow and scatter principles, ideas, opinions, etc, or concrete things, for growth and propagation, like seeds.
  2. 2
    To become widespread.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin dissēminātus, the perfect passive participle of dissēminō (“to broadcast, disseminate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), further from dis- (“asunder, in all directions”) + sēminō (“to plant, sow”), from sēmen (“seed”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix). See also Middle English disseminat(e) (“disseminated”).

Synonyms

spreadcirculatepropagate

This word in other languages

diseminar(Español)disséminer(Français)verbreiten(Deutsch)disseminar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddisseminate,diseminate,disesminate,disseimnate,dissemiante,disseminaet,disseminatte,disseminnate,dissemintae,dissemminate,dissemniate,dissmeinate,dsiseminate,idsseminate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddisseminate1diseminate1disesminate2disseimnate2dissemiante2disseminaet2disseminatte1disseminnate1
Edit distance from "disseminate"

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 "disseminate"?
"disseminate" is spelled D-I-S-S-E-M-I-N-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈsɛmɪˌneɪt/.
What does "disseminate" mean?
As a verb, "disseminate" means: To sow and scatter principles, ideas, opinions, etc, or concrete things, for growth and propagation, like seeds.
What are common misspellings of "disseminate"?
Common misspellings include "ddisseminate", "diseminate", "disesminate", "disseimnate", "dissemiante". The correct spelling is "disseminate".
How do you pronounce "disseminate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "disseminate" is /dɪˈsɛmɪˌneɪt/. 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 "disseminate"?
Borrowed from Latin dissēminātus, the perfect passive participle of dissēminō (“to broadcast, disseminate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), further from dis- (“asunder, in all directions”) + sēminō (“to plant, sow”), from sēmen (“seed”) + -ō (ve... 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 “disseminate”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-I-S-S-E-M-I-N-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /dɪˈsɛmɪˌneɪt/ (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