dissertation
/ˌdɪsɚˈteɪʃən/noun
dissertation is spelled D-I-S-S-E-R-T-A-T-I-O-N: 12 letters and 4 syllables. It appears 5.0 times per million words in written English, the 11,198th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, dissertation means “A formal exposition of a subject, especially a research paper that students write in order to complete the requirements for a doctoral degree in the…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of dissertation is dissertations.
How many letters and syllables are in dissertation?
| Letters | 12: D-I-S-S-E-R-T-A-T-I-O-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 5.0 times per million words; the 11,198th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is dissertation?
Dissertation appears 5.0 times per million words in written English, the 11,198th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce dissertation?
- UK /ˌdɪsəˈteɪʃən/
- US /ˌdɪsɚˈteɪʃən/
- Australia /ˌdɪs.əˈtæɪ.ʃən/
Dissertation has 4 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-dissertation.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with dissertation?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as dissertation from its last stressed vowel (/eɪʃən/):
- situation
- association
- population
- administration
- operation
- organization
- application
- location
- generation
- foundation
- conversation
- investigation
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of dissertation
- dissertations plural
- diss
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does dissertation mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A formal exposition of a subject, especially a research paper that students write in order to complete the requirements for a doctoral degree in the US and a non-doctoral degree in the UK; a thesis.
write a dissertation
- 2
A lengthy lecture on a subject; a treatise; a discourse; a sermon.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Dissertation in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense formal exposition of a subject:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | dissertation |
| German | Doktorarbeit, Dissertation |
| Portuguese | dissertação |
| Spanish | disertación |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does dissertation come from?
From Latin dissertātiō, from dissertō.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).