dissimilarity

/dɪˌsɪmɪˈlæɹɪti/

//dɪˌsɪmɪˈlæɹɪti// noun

"dissimilarity" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency English
13
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A lack of similarity or a lack of likeness in appearance to something else.

Key facts for dissimilarity
PropertyValue
Headworddissimilarity
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/dɪˌsɪmɪˈlæɹɪti/
Letters13
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dissimilarity” sits in English frequency

dissimilarity 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 dissimilarity is 13 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɪˌsɪmɪˈlæɹɪti/. 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: "A lack of similarity or a lack of likeness in appearance to something else.".

No generated misspelling entries exist for dissimilarity in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From dis- + similarity or dissimilar + -ity. The correct English form is dissimilarity, spelled D-I-S-S-I-M-I-L-A-R-I-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A lack of similarity or a lack of likeness in appearance to something else.

Etymology

From dis- + similarity or dissimilar + -ity.

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

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 "dissimilarity"?
"dissimilarity" is spelled D-I-S-S-I-M-I-L-A-R-I-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˌsɪmɪˈlæɹɪti/.
What does "dissimilarity" mean?
As a noun, "dissimilarity" means: A lack of similarity or a lack of likeness in appearance to something else.
How do you pronounce "dissimilarity"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dissimilarity" is /dɪˌsɪmɪˈlæɹɪti/. 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 "dissimilarity"?
From dis- + similarity or dissimilar + -ity. 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 “dissimilarity”

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

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