disturb

/dɪˈstɜːb/

//dɪˈstɜːb// verb

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

"disturb" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“disturb” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #13,703 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#13,703
frequency rank, English
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - to confuse a quiet, constant state or a calm, continuous flow, in particular: thoughts, actions or liquids.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

disturb vs disturbed
78% similar
disturb vs distort
71% similar

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

Key facts for disturb
PropertyValue
Headworddisturb
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dɪˈstɜːb/
Letters7
Frequency rank#13,703
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “disturb” 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). disturb 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 disturb is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɪˈstɜːb/. Corpus data places it at rank #13,703 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for disturb, with forms such as "ddisturb", "dissturb", and "distrub". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "disturbed", "distort", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English destourben, from Anglo-Norman distourber and Old French destorber, from Latin disturbare, intensifying for turbare (“to throw into disorder”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)twerH-, *(s)turH- (“to rotate, swirl, twirl, move arou… The correct English form is disturb, spelled D-I-S-T-U-R-B.

Definition

  1. 1
    to confuse a quiet, constant state or a calm, continuous flow, in particular: thoughts, actions or liquids.
  2. 2
    to divert, redirect, or alter by disturbing.
  3. 3
    to have a negative emotional impact; to cause emotional distress or confusion.

Etymology

From Middle English destourben, from Anglo-Norman distourber and Old French destorber, from Latin disturbare, intensifying for turbare (“to throw into disorder”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)twerH-, *(s)turH- (“to rotate, swirl, twirl, move around”).

Synonyms

upset

This word in other languages

molestar(Español)déranger(Français)stören(Deutsch)perturbar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddisturb,dissturb,distrub,distturb,distubr,disturbb,disturrb,disutrb,ditsurb,dsiturb,idsturb

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddisturb1dissturb1distrub2distturb1distubr2disturbb1disturrb1disutrb2
Edit distance from "disturb"

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 "disturb"?
"disturb" is spelled D-I-S-T-U-R-B. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈstɜːb/.
What does "disturb" mean?
As a verb, "disturb" means: to confuse a quiet, constant state or a calm, continuous flow, in particular: thoughts, actions or liquids.
What words are commonly confused with "disturb"?
"disturb" is commonly confused with "disturbed", "distort". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "disturb"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "disturb" is /dɪˈstɜːb/. 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 "disturb"?
From Middle English destourben, from Anglo-Norman distourber and Old French destorber, from Latin disturbare, intensifying for turbare (“to throw into disorder”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)twerH-, *(s)turH- (“to rotate, swirl, twirl,... 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 “disturb”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-I-S-T-U-R-B - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /dɪˈstɜːb/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “disturbed” - see the side-by-side comparison. disturb vs disturbed
  • 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