dissonant

/ˈdɪsənənt/

//ˈdɪsənənt// adj

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

"dissonant" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dissonant” is an uncommon English word, ranked #51,662 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#51,662
frequency rank, English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Exhibiting dissonance; not agreeing; not harmonizing or melodizing.

Key facts for dissonant
PropertyValue
Headworddissonant
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈdɪsənənt/
Letters9
Frequency rank#51,662
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dissonant” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). dissonant lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for dissonant is 9 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈdɪsənənt/. Corpus data places it at rank #51,662 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

dissonant doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French dissonant. The correct English form is dissonant, spelled D-I-S-S-O-N-A-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Exhibiting dissonance; not agreeing; not harmonizing or melodizing.
  2. 2
    Exhibiting dissonance; not agreeing or harmonizing.

Etymology

From Middle French dissonant.

This word in other languages

disonante(Español)dissonant(Deutsch)

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 "dissonant"?
"dissonant" is spelled D-I-S-S-O-N-A-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɪsənənt/.
What does "dissonant" mean?
As an adjective, "dissonant" means: Exhibiting dissonance; not agreeing; not harmonizing or melodizing.
How do you pronounce "dissonant"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dissonant" is /ˈdɪsənənt/. 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 "dissonant"?
From Middle French dissonant. 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 “dissonant”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-I-S-S-O-N-A-N-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈdɪsənənt/ (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