Look-alike words
Desert vs. Dessert
Desert (DEZ-ert) is a dry, sandy or rocky region; as a verb (dih-ZURT), it means to abandon. Dessert (dih-ZURT) is the sweet course at the end of a meal. Camels cross the desert; you eat dessert.
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| desert | noun | a dry area of land with very little rain and few plants |
| verb | to leave someone or something and not come back, especially when you should stay | |
| dessert | noun | a sweet dish eaten at the end of a meal |
Desert
noun: a dry area of land with very little rain and few plants
- We drove through the desert at night to avoid the heat.
- Cactus flowers bloom in the desert after a rare rain.
verb: to leave someone or something and not come back, especially when you should stay
- Their best players deserted the team for a rival club.
- Please don't desert me now; I still need help moving this couch.
Dessert
noun: a sweet dish eaten at the end of a meal
- We had peach cobbler for dessert.
- Maya skipped dessert because she was already full.
How to remember the difference
Dessert has two s's, like sweet stuff. A desert has just one, because a desert has less of everything, even letters.
Good to know
The phrase just deserts, meaning the punishment or reward someone deserves, is spelled with one s. It comes from an old noun related to deserve, not from dessert, though just desserts is a very common misspelling.
Spot the mistake
Would you like ice cream for
desert?dessert?Correct: Would you like ice cream for dessert?
Camels can travel for days across the
dessert.desert.Correct: Camels can travel for days across the desert.
Check yourself
Pick the word that fits each sentence.
1. The waiter brought a menu with five kinds of cake.
Answer: dessert. Cake is a sweet course at the end of a meal, so dessert fits.
2. Few animals can survive in the hot, dry .
Answer: desert. This is a dry place with little rain, so desert with one s fits.