Pronunciation: [dɪʃˈɛvə͡ld] (IPA) 
The spelling of the word "disheveled" is a bit tricky, as it contains the rare letter combination "shv." This word means untidy or disordered in appearance. In IPA phonetic transcription, "disheveled" is pronounced /dɪˈʃɛvəld/. The "sh" sound in the first syllable is followed by "v," creating the /ʃv/ sound. The "-el" ending is pronounced as /əld/, making the word three syllables in total.
Disheveled is an adjective that describes a person's appearance or state of being untidy, messy, or disordered. It refers to the disarray or disarrangement of someone's physical appearance, such as their hair, clothing, or overall grooming.
When someone is disheveled, their hair may be unkempt, tangled, or tousled, appearing as if it hasn't been brushed or styled properly. Their clothing might be wrinkled, crumpled, or haphazardly put together, lacking neatness or proper arrangement. It can also refer to untied shoelaces, unbuttoned shirts, or asymmetrical attire.
Furthermore, disheveled may indicate a general lack of personal care or attention to grooming. It can be associated with a disorganized or chaotic lifestyle, suggesting that the individual may not have taken the time to maintain their appearance or that they have been engaged in activities that have caused their state of untidiness.
This word can also be used metaphorically to describe the state of something that is disorderly, jumbled, or in a state of disarray. It can be used to depict a messy room, an unorganized workspace, or a chaotic situation.
Overall, disheveled is a term used to describe an individual's unkempt or disorderly physical appearance, as well as the disordered state of objects or surroundings. It emphasizes a lack of tidiness, neatness, or attention to grooming.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "disheveled" originated from the Old French term "descheveler", which means "to disarrange the hair" or "to make untidy". It is derived from the combination of the prefix "des-" (meaning "opposite of" or "undoing") and the word "chevel" (meaning "hair"). Eventually, this term was borrowed into Middle English as "discheveled", and then later became the modern English word "disheveled", referring to a person or their appearance being untidy or unkempt.
