dissonance

/ˈdɪsənəns/

//ˈdɪsənəns// noun

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

"dissonance" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dissonance” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #28,176. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#28,176
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
14
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A harsh, discordant combination of sounds.

Corpus desk

Index EN-dissonance · dissonance · English

dissonance · rank #28,176 · 14 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #28,176
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH disposing

Nearest frequency peer: disposing (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “dissonance”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “dissonance” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for dissonance
PropertyValue
Headworddissonance
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdɪsənəns/
Letters10
Frequency rank#28,176
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “dissonance”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).dissonancelands 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 “disposing” (#28,175), “dup” (#28,177), “disintegration” (#28,174). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “dissonance” is #28,176. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around dissonance (IPA /ˈdɪsənəns/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #28,176 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for dissonance, with forms such as "ddissonance", "disonance", and "disosnance". 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 is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French dissonance, from Latin dissonantia; by surface analysis, dis- + son- + -ance. The correct English form is dissonance, spelled D-I-S-S-O-N-A-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A harsh, discordant combination of sounds.
  2. 2
    Conflicting notes that are not overtones of the note or chord sounding.
  3. 3
    A state of disagreement or conflict.
  4. 4
    An instance of that state.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Cognitive dissonance exists when a person possesses two cognitions, one of which is contradictory to the other
  2. In this polyphony of images in the unconscious which is beyond and outside historical time, there are complex harmonies but no dissonances: the images do not clash, but that, of course, is an aesthetic judgment and not a scientific one.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French dissonance, from Latin dissonantia; by surface analysis, dis- + son- + -ance.

This word in other languages

dissonance(Français)Dissonanz(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddissonance
  • disonance
  • disosnance
  • dissnoance
  • dissoannce
  • dissonacne
  • dissonancce
  • dissonanec
  • dissonannce
  • dissonence
  • dissonnace
  • dissonnance
  • dsisonance
  • idssonance

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddissonance1disonance1disosnance2dissnoance2dissoannce2dissonacne2dissonancce1dissonanec2
Edit distance from "dissonance"

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 "dissonance"?
"dissonance" is spelled D-I-S-S-O-N-A-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɪsənəns/.
What does "dissonance" mean?
As a noun, "dissonance" means: A harsh, discordant combination of sounds.
What are common misspellings of "dissonance"?
Common misspellings include "ddissonance", "disonance", "disosnance", "dissnoance", "dissoannce". The correct spelling is "dissonance".
How do you pronounce "dissonance"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dissonance" is /ˈdɪsənəns/. 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 "dissonance"?
Borrowed from Middle French dissonance, from Latin dissonantia; by surface analysis, dis- + son- + -ance. 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 "dissonance", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

discerning#28,173consequent#28,157excitation#28,199furnishing#28,212

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

disposing14 variantsbetterment14 variantsanarchism14 variantsinfallible14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list