Word for Wednesday: Disappear

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Our Word for Wednesday theme for 2023 is tricky spelling words. This year, after sharing the definition and etymology of each week’s word, we will end every blog post with some tips and tricks to help you spell it.

Over the month, we've shared spelling tips for the words beautiful, because, business and definitely. Our final tricky spelling word for March disappear.

If something disappears, it means it vanishes (sometimes without warning or explanation). 

Here is disappear used in some example sentences: 

  • The sun disappears below the horizon and darkness falls.
  • I can’t find my keys anywhere – they have disappeared. 
  • She disappears into her thoughts.

The word disappear comes from the prefix dis- meaning ‘do the opposite of’ and appear meaning ‘come into view’. Disappear dates to the early-fifteenth century and comes from the word ‘disaperen’, which in turn comes from the word ‘disparish’. ‘Disparish’ comes from the French ‘disparaiss-’ which is the stem of 'desapparoistre'.

Try splitting the word into dis- and appear to help you remember how to spell it.

You can also look smaller words within the word disappear to help you spell its different parts:

  • disappear – sap
  • disappear – pear
  • disappear – app

Learn about the word disappear in Spellzone Unit 23. Prefixes: when letters need changing and practise spelling other words with prefixes in this list.


29 Mar 2023
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One of the students has put in a huge amount of effort in completing Spellzone at least 3 times a week since his arrival with us in January. Looking at his scores after the latest GL testing, his standardised score has risen from 99 to 131. This is a truly phenomenal result. I just wanted to share the best result I have ever seen.

Terrie Penrose-Toms, Casterton College

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