Dispair or despair?
Did you mean despair? Here's the right spelling and how to remember it.
Incorrect
dispair
Correct
despair
Correct spelling: despair. Misspelling: dispair.
letters the misspelling gets wrong or leaves out letters that shouldn't be there
Memory tip
It starts with DE, and ends like pair: de-SPAIR.
Why people write “dispair”
The misspelling “dispair” is only one letter off: it writes I where despair has E, an easy slip because in an unstressed syllable both vowels can sound like the same soft "uh".
Spell-checkers catch the mistake in a document, but not in a handwritten note, a text message or a word game. Writing the word out a few times while saying the tricky part aloud is the quickest way to make despair automatic.
What does “despair” mean?
despair noun
- a state in which all hope is lost or absent
“in the depths of despair”
Synonyms:desperation
- the feeling that everything is wrong and nothing will turn out well
“they moaned in despair and dismay”
despair verb
- abandon hope; give up hope; lose heart
“Don't despair--help is on the way!”
Definitions from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Full dictionary entry
“Despair” in a sentence
- They didn't give in to despair.
- In the depths of despair.
- They moaned in despair and dismay.
- Don't despair--help is on the way!.
Is “despair” a playable word?
10 points in Scrabble · 11 in Words With Friends
- Scrabble (US)
- Scrabble (UK)
- Words With Friends
“dispair” is not accepted in any of these games. See every word you can make from DESPAIR.