divide

Name: divide, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/dɪˈvaɪd/

//dɪˈvaɪd// verb

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“divide” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,876 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#5,876
frequency rank, English: 6
letters: 7
tracked misspellings: 15
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To split or separate (something) into two or more parts.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

divide vs Dixie

50% similar

divide vs divine

83% similar

divide vs diving

67% similar

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

Key facts for divide
Property	Value
Headword	divide
Language	English
Part of speech	Verb
IPA	/dɪˈvaɪd/
Letters	6
Frequency rank	#5,876
Misspellings tracked	7
Confusable pairs	15
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “divide” 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). divide lands here:

#5,876

#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 divide is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɪˈvaɪd/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,876 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 13 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for divide, with forms such as "ddivide", "diivde", and "divdie". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 15 confusable-pair relationships, "Dixie", "divine", "diving", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dews-? Proto-Indo-European *dus- Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ Proto-Indo-European *dwi- Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ Proto-Indo-European *dwís Latin dis- ▲ Proto-Indo-European *dwi- Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- Proto-Indo-Euro… The correct English form is divide, spelled D-I-V-I-D-E.

Definition

1
To split or separate (something) into two or more parts.
2
To share (something) by dividing it.
3
To cause (a group of people) to disagree.
4
To calculate the number (the quotient) by which you must multiply one given number (the divisor) to produce a second given number (the dividend).
5
To be a divisor of.
6
To separate into two or more parts.
7
Of a cell, to reproduce by dividing.
8
To disunite in opinion or interest; to make discordant or hostile; to set at variance.
9
To break friendship; to fall out.
10
To have a share; to partake.
11
To vote, as in the British parliament and other legislatures, by the members separating themselves into two parties (as on opposite sides of the hall or in opposite lobbies), that is, the ayes dividing from the noes.
12
To mark divisions on; to graduate.
13
To play or sing in a florid style, or with variations.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dews-? Proto-Indo-European *dus- Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ Proto-Indo-European *dwi- Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ Proto-Indo-European *dwís Latin dis- ▲ Proto-Indo-European *dwi- Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- Proto-Indo-European *h₁weydʰh₁-der. Proto-Italic *wiðō Latin *vidō Latin dīvidōder. Middle English dividen English divide PIE word *dwóh₁ From Middle English dividen, from Latin dīvidere (“to divide”). Displaced native Old English tōdǣlan.

Synonyms

becut decide discerp disintegrate dispart dissever divide divorce divvy up part partition piecemeal rescind section sever split split up sunder

Antonyms

annex coalesce combine join merge unify unite

This word in other languages

desunir(Español)diviser(Français)aufteilen(Deutsch)separar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddivide,diivde,divdie,divied,divvide,dviide,idvide

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of divide - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

Edit distance from "divide"

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 "divide"?

"divide" is spelled D-I-V-I-D-E. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈvaɪd/.

What does "divide" mean?

As a verb, "divide" means: To split or separate (something) into two or more parts.

What words are commonly confused with "divide"?

"divide" is commonly confused with "Dixie", "divine", "diving". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "divide"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "divide" is /dɪˈvaɪd/. 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 "divide"?

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 “divide”

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

The one correct English spelling is D-I-V-I-D-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /dɪˈvaɪd/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Don't mix it up with “Dixie” - see the side-by-side comparison. divide vs Dixie
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.