dissuade

/dɪˈsweɪd/

//dɪˈsweɪd// verb

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

The verdict

“dissuade” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #28,519 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#28,519
frequency rank, English
8
letters
9
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To convince not to try or do.

Key facts for dissuade
PropertyValue
Headworddissuade
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dɪˈsweɪd/
Letters8
Frequency rank#28,519
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dissuade” 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). dissuade 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 dissuade is 8 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɪˈsweɪd/. Corpus data places it at rank #28,519 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "To convince not to try or do.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for dissuade, with forms such as "ddissuade", "dissaude", and "dissuadde". 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. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French dissuader, from Latin dissuādeō (“I urge differently”, “I advise against”, “I dissuade”), from dis- (“away from”, “asunder”) + suādeō (“I recommend”, “I advise”, “I urge”). The correct English form is dissuade, spelled D-I-S-S-U-A-D-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To convince not to try or do.

Etymology

From Middle French dissuader, from Latin dissuādeō (“I urge differently”, “I advise against”, “I dissuade”), from dis- (“away from”, “asunder”) + suādeō (“I recommend”, “I advise”, “I urge”).

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddissuade,dissaude,dissuadde,dissuaed,dissudae,disuade,disusade,dsisuade,idssuade

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddissuade1dissaude2dissuadde1dissuaed2dissudae2disuade1disusade2dsisuade2
Edit distance from "dissuade"

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 "dissuade"?
"dissuade" is spelled D-I-S-S-U-A-D-E. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈsweɪd/.
What does "dissuade" mean?
As a verb, "dissuade" means: To convince not to try or do.
What are common misspellings of "dissuade"?
Common misspellings include "ddissuade", "dissaude", "dissuadde", "dissuaed", "dissudae". The correct spelling is "dissuade".
How do you pronounce "dissuade"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dissuade" is /dɪˈsweɪd/. 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 "dissuade"?
From Middle French dissuader, from Latin dissuādeō (“I urge differently”, “I advise against”, “I dissuade”), from dis- (“away from”, “asunder”) + suādeō (“I recommend”, “I advise”, “I urge”). 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 “dissuade”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-I-S-S-U-A-D-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /dɪˈsweɪd/ (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