dissolve

/dɪˈzɒlv/

//dɪˈzɒlv// verb

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

"dissolve" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dissolve” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #15,148. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#15,148
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To terminate a union of multiple members actively, as by disbanding.

Corpus desk

Index EN-dissolve · dissolve · English

dissolve · rank #15,148 · 10 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #15,148
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH diverted

Nearest frequency peer: diverted (+1 rank slots)

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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “dissolve”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “dissolve” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

dissolve vs dissolved
89% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for dissolve
PropertyValue
Headworddissolve
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dɪˈzɒlv/
Letters8
Frequency rank#15,148
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dissolve” sits in English frequency

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).dissolvelands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “diverted” (#15,149), “dubious” (#15,150), “disadvantaged” (#15,145). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around dissolve (IPA /dɪˈzɒlv/), averb. Corpus frequency is #15,148 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 14 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for dissolve, with forms such as "ddissolve", "disolve", and "disoslve". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "dissolved", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Recorded since c. 1374 (displacing Old English toliesan) as Middle English dissolven, from Latin dissolvere (“to loosen up, break apart”) but with the sense from Anglo-Norman dissoldre (variant of Old French dissoudre), itself from dis- (“apart”) + solvere … The correct English form is dissolve, spelled D-I-S-S-O-L-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To terminate a union of multiple members actively, as by disbanding.
  2. 2
    To destroy, make disappear.
  3. 3
    To liquify, melt into a fluid.
  4. 4
    To be melted, changed into a fluid.
  5. 5
    To disintegrate chemically into a solution by immersion into a liquid or other material.
  6. 6
    To be disintegrated by such immersion.
  7. 7
    To disperse, drive apart a group of persons.
  8. 8
    To break the continuity of; to disconnect; to loosen; to undo; to separate.
  9. 9
    To annul; to rescind; to discharge or release.
  10. 10
    To shift from one shot to another by having the former fade out as the latter fades in.
  11. 11
    To resolve itself as by dissolution.
  12. 12
    To solve; to clear up; to resolve.
  13. 13
    To relax by pleasure; to make powerless.
  14. 14
    To separate a ligature into its component letters.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The ruling party or coalition sometimes dissolves parliament early when the polls are favorable, hoping to reconvene with a larger majority.
  2. as if the world were all dissolved to tears

Etymology

Recorded since c. 1374 (displacing Old English toliesan) as Middle English dissolven, from Latin dissolvere (“to loosen up, break apart”) but with the sense from Anglo-Norman dissoldre (variant of Old French dissoudre), itself from dis- (“apart”) + solvere (“to loose, loosen”). By surface analysis, dis- + solve.

This word in other languages

disolver(Español)dissoudre(Français)auflösen(Deutsch)dissolver(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddissolve
  • disolve
  • disoslve
  • disslove
  • dissolev
  • dissollve
  • dissolvve
  • dissovle
  • dsisolve
  • idssolve

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddissolve1disolve1disoslve2disslove2dissolev2dissollve1dissolvve1dissovle2
Edit distance from "dissolve"

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 "dissolve"?
"dissolve" is spelled D-I-S-S-O-L-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈzɒlv/.
What does "dissolve" mean?
As a verb, "dissolve" means: To terminate a union of multiple members actively, as by disbanding.
What words are commonly confused with "dissolve"?
"dissolve" is commonly confused with "dissolved". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dissolve"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dissolve" is /dɪˈzɒlv/. 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 "dissolve"?
Recorded since c. 1374 (displacing Old English toliesan) as Middle English dissolven, from Latin dissolvere (“to loosen up, break apart”) but with the sense from Anglo-Norman dissoldre (variant of Old French dissoudre), itself from dis- (“apart”) ... 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "dissolve", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

diverted#15,149Coventry#15,138coincide#15,132famously#15,165

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

eagerly10 variantscatchy10 variantsKristen10 variantsLorenzo10 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "dissolve". Here's where to go from here.

  • This headword has one recorded confusable pair with "dissolved". View pair
  • 10 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #15,148 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "D" letter cohort. D–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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