The correct spelling is disappoint. The form dissapoint is a misspelling that shows up because the word has double letters and the sound does not “announce” them.
In clean, edited English, you will see disappoint (with one s and two p’s). The look-alike dissapoint flips that pattern, which is why it gets flagged as not standard.
Quick Spelling Check
✅ Correct
disappoint (double p)
❌ Wrong
dissapoint (not standard)
If you remember one thing, make it this: disappoint keeps the pp, not ss.
Disappoint vs Dissapoint: The Spelling Verdict
Disappoint is the accepted form in standard dictionaries, while dissapoint is treated as an error. A common way to describe the mix-up is that people swap the double-letter position, writing ss where the word actually has pp.✅Source
- Correct Form
- disppoint
- Common Wrong Form
- dissapoint (nonstandard)
Why The Misspelling Happens
The confusion usually comes from sound versus spelling. In normal speech, the word does not strongly “signal” whether the double letter is ss or pp, so the written form gets guessed.
Patterns That Trigger The Error
- Double-letter words where the double consonant is easy to misplace (pp vs ss).
- Words that start with dis-, which can make the first part feel like it wants ss.
- The middle chunk -appoint-, which people sometimes “smooth out” when spelling fast.
What Stays Consistent
- The opening is dis- with a single s.
- The center keeps pp, not ss.
- The ending -point stays the same across the whole word family.
What Disappoint Means
In plain terms, disappoint means to fail to satisfy someone’s hopes or expectations, often leaving them unhappy with the outcome.✅Source
Disappoint is a verb. The feeling is usually described with disappointed (a person’s reaction) or disappointing (a thing or event).
Grammar Patterns and Typical Frames
In everyday writing, disappoint most often takes an object (someone), and the related adjective disappointed is commonly followed by a phrase that explains the reason (like by or with).✅Source
- disappoint + someone: a direct impact on a person’s expectations.
- be disappointed + by/with something: a reaction to a result or situation.
- disappointing + noun: describing an outcome as not as good as hoped.
Word Family: Disappointed, Disappointing, and Disappointment
The same spelling core shows up across the family: disappoint, disappointed, disappointing, and disappointment. Dictionaries typically list the verb and then point to the related adjective and noun forms as standard extensions of the base word.✅Source
A Small Detail That Matters
Disappointed is the adjective for a person’s feeling. Merriam-Webster defines it as being defeated in expectation or hope, which matches the everyday sense of “let down” without changing the spelling core.✅Source
Side-by-Side Comparison Table
| Form | Status | What It Signals | Letter Pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| disappoint | ✅ Correct | Verb meaning to fail to meet expectations | disppoint |
| dissapoint | ❌ Wrong | Misspelling often caused by swapping the double letter | dissapoint |
| disappointed | ✅ Correct | Adjective for a person’s feeling | disppointed |
| disappointing | ✅ Correct | Adjective describing an outcome | disppointing |
| disappointment | ✅ Correct | Noun naming the feeling or event | disppointment |
Example Sentences in Context
These examples keep the standard spelling disappoint and show how the word family behaves in real-looking sentences. Notice how disappointed fits people, and disappointing fits outcomes.
- The results did not disappoint, even with high expectations.
- She felt disappointed by the delay, but stayed calm.
- It was a disappointing ending to an otherwise strong story.
- After a few setbacks, the team handled the disappointment with patience.
- People often type dissapoint fast, then correct it back to disappoint.
A Brief Note on History
For anyone curious about where the spelling “settled,” Merriam-Webster traces disappoint through earlier forms and lists a first known use around 1513. It also links the word to forms built on appoint, which helps explain why the pp stays in place.✅Source
FAQ
Questions People Ask About disappoint and dissapoint
Is dissapoint ever correct?
Dissapoint is treated as a misspelling in standard English. The accepted spelling is disappoint, with double p and a single s.
What Is The Fastest Visual Difference Between The Two Spellings?
Look at the middle: disappoint contains pp. The wrong form dissapoint usually shows ss instead, which is the swap that causes the error.
Is disappointed spelled the same way in the middle?
Yes. Disappointed keeps the same core as disappoint, including the double pp. The ending changes, not the center.
What Is The Noun Form?
The noun is disappointment. It names the feeling or the event that created it, while disappoint stays the verb.
What Is The Difference Between disappointed and disappointing?
Disappointed describes a person’s feeling. Disappointing describes a thing or outcome that caused that feeling.
Can disappoint be used without an object?
It can. You might see it used more generally to mean something falls short, while the most common structure still involves a person being disappointed by an outcome.