COMMONLY CONFUSED: Disburse vs. Disperse
Make sure you know the difference
Saturdays are perfect days to clarify communication confusion. Surprise, we’re talking about the differences between the words disburse and disperse today!
The English language isn’t easy to master, considering how many words sound similar to each other. One particularly tricky pair of homophones is that of disburse and disperse. One of these words is more common than the other, at least outside financial circles, but their overlapping meanings contribute to confusion as much as their similar sound and spelling:
The word disburse is based on the root BURS- meaning purse in words like reimburse and, well, purse. The word bursar carrying significant weight for college-bound students, as you’ll need to remain in good standing with the bursar’s office in order to attend classes:
disburse (verb) - to give or pay out money, often from a specific fund
BREAKDOWN: DIS- (away) + BURS- (purse)
—disbursement is the act of paying out money; a payment made from a fund or on behalf of a client
bursar (noun) - an administrator responsible for managing the financial affairs of a college or school; a treasurer or business officer
—a bursary is the treasury of a public, educational, or religious institution or order
—a bursary award is a monetary grant or scholarship given to eligible or prospective students by an educational institution
The word disperse, on the other hand, is based on the root SPER- meaning to scatter or spread in words like aspersion and diaspora. While one could conceivably disperse money, the process would be messy and ineffective.
disperse (verb) - to scatter or spread in different directions; to disseminate
BREAKDOWN: DIS- (away) + SPER- (scatter, spread) + -SE (action)
—dispersal is the act, process, or state of spreading or being spread (also dispersion)
—dispersible means able to spread or be spread as a liquid or gas
“Knowledge is not simply another commodity. On the contrary, knowledge is never used up. It increases by diffusion and grows by dispersion.” –Daniel J. Boorstin