dissimilarity

/dɪˌsɪmɪˈlæɹɪti/

//dɪˌsɪmɪˈlæɹɪti// noun

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

The verdict

“dissimilarity” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
13
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A lack of similarity or a lack of likeness in appearance to something else.

Corpus desk

Index EN-dissimilarity · dissimilarity · English

dissimilarity · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 13 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "D" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

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

Long-tail rank of “dissimilarity” in English

dissimilarityranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

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

Rare enough to double-check

dissimilarity is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /dɪˌsɪmɪˈlæɹɪti/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "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.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how dissimilarity appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The experiment was abandoned when one fine day spontaneous combustion of the pulverised coal in the container occurred, and a black cloud of the very finely divided fuel rose into the air by the force of the explosion, and was slowly wafted by the prevailing breeze over the town, upon which it descended with the resemblance of black snow, but with the dis…

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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list