dysfunction

/dɪsˈfʌŋk.ʃən/

//dɪsˈfʌŋk.ʃən// noun

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

"dysfunction" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dysfunction” has 19 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #14,518. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#14,518
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
19
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A failure to function in an expected or complete manner. Usually refers to a disorder in a bodily organ (e.g. erectile dysfunction), a mental disorder, or the improper behavior of a social group.

Corpus desk

Index EN-dysfunction · dysfunction · English

dysfunction · rank #14,518 · 19 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #14,518
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 19 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH doubtful

Nearest frequency peer: doubtful (-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 “dysfunction”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “dysfunction” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

dysfunction vs dysfunctional
85% similar

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

Key facts for dysfunction
PropertyValue
Headworddysfunction
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/dɪsˈfʌŋk.ʃən/
Letters11
Frequency rank#14,518
Misspellings tracked19
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “dysfunction”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).dysfunctionlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “doubtful” (#14,517), “dosage” (#14,516), “encyclopedia” (#14,520). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “dysfunction” is #14,518. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 19 spelling variants around dysfunction (IPA /dɪsˈfʌŋk.ʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #14,518 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Dominant gloss: "A failure to function in an expected or complete manner. Usually refers to a disorder in a bodily organ (e.g. erectile dysfunction), a mental disorder, or the improper behavior of a social group.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 19 likely wrong-spelling variants for dysfunction, with forms such as "ddysfunction", "dsyfunction", and "dyfsunction". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "dysfunctional", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From dys- + function. The correct English form is dysfunction, spelled D-Y-S-F-U-N-C-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A failure to function in an expected or complete manner. Usually refers to a disorder in a bodily organ (e.g. erectile dysfunction), a mental disorder, or the improper behavior of a social group.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Cerebellar dysfunction is characterized by truncal ataxia, a broad-based stance, dysmetria in which the limbs either overstep (hypermetria) or understep (hypometria), and tremor that is most pronounced when the animal attempts a goal-orientated movement (intention tremor).
  2. We next consider the cognification of interpersonal dysfunctions in treating clinical depression.

Etymology

From dys- + function.

This word in other languages

disfunción(Español)dysfonctionnement(Français)Dysfunktion(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddysfunction
  • dsyfunction
  • dyfsunction
  • dysffunction
  • dysfnuction
  • dysfucntion
  • dysfuncction
  • dysfunciton
  • dysfuncsion
  • dysfunctino
  • dysfunctionn
  • dysfunctoin
  • dysfuncttion
  • dysfunnction
  • dysfuntcion
  • dyssfunction
  • dysufnction
  • dyysfunction
  • ydsfunction

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddysfunction1dsyfunction2dyfsunction2dysffunction1dysfnuction2dysfucntion2dysfuncction1dysfunciton2
Edit distance from "dysfunction"

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 "dysfunction"?
"dysfunction" is spelled D-Y-S-F-U-N-C-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪsˈfʌŋk.ʃən/.
What does "dysfunction" mean?
As a noun, "dysfunction" means: A failure to function in an expected or complete manner. Usually refers to a disorder in a bodily organ (e.g. erectile dysfunction), a mental disorder, or the improper behavior of a social group.
What words are commonly confused with "dysfunction"?
"dysfunction" is commonly confused with "dysfunctional". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dysfunction"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dysfunction" is /dɪsˈfʌŋk.ʃən/. 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 "dysfunction"?
From dys- + function. 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 "dysfunction", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

sentimental#14,410sensational#14,631reformation#14,398magistrates#14,360

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (19 here; floor ≥5).

condemnation19 variantsintroductory19 variantstrustworthy19 variantsinexperienced19 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list