Disconcerting vs Disconcerning Quiz: Test Yourself
Five quick questions on disconcerting vs disconcerning. Pick an answer to get instant feedback.
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Unsettling or confusing. The correct spelling.
“The sudden silence was disconcerting.”
Not a standard word. Use disconcerting instead.
“Fix it: the news was disconcerting.”
Describes a person who feels thrown off or flustered.
“She felt disconcerted by his stare.”
Causing worry; also a preposition meaning about.
“The test results were concerning.”
People mix up disconcerting vs disconcerning because both look and sound close to concerning, a word they already know. The result is a spelling that feels right but is not in standard dictionaries. The fix is easy once you see where the real word comes from.
| Term | Meaning | Part of speech / Category | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disconcerting | Unsettling; causing confusion or loss of composure | Adjective (correct) | The empty street felt disconcerting. |
| Disconcerning | No standard meaning; a misspelling of disconcerting | Not a standard word | Avoid: the silence was disconcerning. |
| Disconcerted | Thrown off balance or flustered | Adjective / past participle | He was disconcerted by the question. |
| Concerning | Worrying; also about | Adjective / preposition | The delay is concerning. |
What does disconcerting mean?
Disconcerting means unsettling: it throws you off balance or makes you feel confused or uneasy. It is the adjective form of the verb disconcert.
Dictionaries define disconcert as to throw into confusion or to disturb someone’s composure. For example: “It was disconcerting to hear my own name from a stranger.”
Is disconcerning a word?
No. Disconcerning is not listed as a standard English word, and it is generally treated as a misspelling of disconcerting.
It has no verb to match it. There is no “to disconcern” in standard English, while disconcert is a well-established verb. If you see disconcerning in a draft, change it to disconcerting.
What is the difference between disconcerting vs disconcerning?
Disconcerting is a real word with a clear meaning. Disconcerning is an error. They look similar, but only the first appears in standard dictionaries.
Only disconcerting has a family of correct forms: disconcert (verb), disconcertingly (adverb), disconcerted (past participle) and disconcertment (noun). Every one of them is spelled with cert, never cern.
Why do people write disconcerning?
The most likely cause is blending with concerning, which sounds similar and also means troubling. Because writers already know concerning, their brains swap in cern for cert.
The two words are related in feel but not in origin. Concerning means causing worry, while disconcerting stresses being thrown off balance or confused. Disconcerting comes from the French disconcerter, built from dis- and concerter, meaning “to bring into agreement.” So to disconcert is, in a sense, to throw something out of harmony. It entered English in the 17th century.
What is the difference between disconcerting and disconcerted?
Disconcerting describes the thing causing the unease, and disconcerted describes the person who feels it. A disconcerting stare leaves you disconcerted.
How do you use disconcerting in a sentence?
Use disconcerting for a thing, event or behavior that unsettles people. It works before a noun (“a disconcerting silence”) or after a linking verb (“the silence was disconcerting”).
It also has an adverb form: “The room was disconcertingly quiet.” A few more examples:
- The sudden change in tone was disconcerting.
- There is something disconcerting about a smile that never reaches the eyes.
- Her calm reaction to the bad news was almost disconcerting.
What are good alternatives to disconcerting?
Unsettling, unnerving, confusing and upsetting all work in most sentences. Choose unnerving for fear, confusing for puzzlement, and disconcerting when someone is thrown off balance or loses their composure.
None of these alternatives needs the tricky middle, so if you are unsure of the spelling in a hurry, a synonym is a safe backup.
How can you remember which one to use?
Spell it with cert in the middle: dis-con-CERT-ing. Picture a concert thrown into chaos, and you will remember the t, not the n.
Common Mistakes
- ✗ The results were disconcerning.
✓ The results were disconcerting. - ✗ It was a disconcerningly quiet house.
✓ It was a disconcertingly quiet house. - ✗ She was disconcerting by his stare.
✓ She was disconcerted by his stare. - ✗ His disconcernment was obvious.
✓ His disconcertment was obvious.
Memory Tricks
- The concert picture. Disconcerting hides the word concert. A disrupted concert is a disconcerting one.
- Spell it in chunks. Say dis-con-CERT-ing out loud. The chunk is cert, not cern.
- Same ending as upsetting. Disconcerting ends in -ting, like upsetting and unsettling, which mean nearly the same thing.
FAQ
Is disconcerning a word?
No. Disconcerning is not listed as a standard English word and is generally treated as a misspelling of disconcerting.
What does disconcerting mean?
Disconcerting means unsettling or confusing, causing someone to lose their composure.
What is the difference between disconcerting and disconcerted?
Disconcerting describes the thing that causes unease, while disconcerted describes the person who feels it.
Where does the word disconcerting come from?
It comes from the verb disconcert, which entered English in the 17th century from French disconcerter, built from dis- and concerter, meaning to bring into agreement.
Is disconcerting the same as concerning?
Not exactly. Concerning means worrying, while disconcerting stresses being thrown off balance or confused, though both can describe unsettling news.
Conclusion
When it comes to disconcerting vs disconcerning, remember that disconcerting is the only correct spelling and that it is built on cert, as in concert. Share this with someone who mixes these up, and send them to the quiz at the top.