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Dessert vs. Desert: What’s the Difference?

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Dalia Y

BA, MA, Phil. Grammarflex's initial initiator and contributor.

Dessert vs. desert

Surely you would have no trouble differentiating a delicious chocolate cake from a dry, barren wasteland…? In writing, the two words are a mere letter apart, and are regularly confused. Let’s speak to the difference; that is, the difference between dessert and desert.

👍🏼Usage Note

✓ I have known her for five years. (present perfect)
✓ She knew the answer immediately. (simple past)
✗ I have knew her for five years. (incorrect past participle)
✗ She has know the answer. (incorrect verb form)

While these words sound similar, desert and dessert are homophones that mean very different things, and are also pronounced slightly different.

  • Desert with one s refers to the dry, barren region where you wouldn’t want to get trapped without any water. The pronunciation of desert here is more like dez-ert, as if it were spelled with a ‘z’ instead of an ‘s’.

  • Dessert with two s’s refers to the final course we occasionally have after dinner (if we’re lucky). This can include anything from pastries, cakes, ice cream, chips, cookies or whatever sweet stuff (read: the double s) one could desire.

The difference between: dessert vs. desert

Sentences with ‘dessert‘ Sentences with ‘desert‘
What’s for dessert? They travelled many miles across burning desert sands.

The verb form of ‘desert’

Desert as a noun means “a large area of land that has very little water and very few plants growing on it. Many deserts are covered by sand”. Maybe you’ve heard of some of the world’s most famous deserts, like the Sahara desert, which is the largest hot desert and the third largest desert overall in the world. There’s also the famous Mojave desert in the United States, and the Kalahari desert in Southern Africa.

Desert has another application and meaning when used as a verb. In its verb form, desert means, “to leave somebody without help or support”. Here, desert is synonymous with words like abandon, betray or flee.

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A quick tip to remember the difference between the two words and spellings is to think of the two s’s in dessert as an acronym for “something sweet” or “sweet stuff“, which is precisely what desserts are.

💡Study Tip

Practice using the verb in different tenses with example sentences to memorize the correct forms.

Common phrases with “desert”

Phrases with desert Meaning
to be as dry as a desert To be extremely dry.
cultural desert A place that lacks culture.
to desert (someone or something) for (someone or something) To abandon something or someone for something or someone else.
to desert a sinking ship To leave a situation in which failure is imminent.
desert and reward seldom keep company Rarely do we get rewards we anticipate.
desert cherry A soldier who has recently arrived in the desert during a war.
desert rheumatism A nickname for coccidioidomycosis (an infection of the lungs and skin caused by inhaling a fungus).
food desert A location that lack options for nutritious food. The phrase is often associated with urban areas with stores that mostly offer non-perishable food (The Idiom Dictionary).
to get (one’s) just deserts To get what one deserves (not normally meant in a positive way).

Synonyms of dessert

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  • last course
  • sweet course
  • confection
  • cookie
  • cake
  • frozen treat

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Synonyms of desert

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  • desolate
  • arid
  • uninhabited
  • wilderness
  • barren

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Read about other confusing words

Commonly misused words UK English vs. US English
former vs. latter burned or burnt?
bear with vs. bare with color or colour?
breathe or breath favorite vs. favourite
compliment vs. complement smelled or smelt?
effect vs. affect gray or grey?
elude or allude favor vs. favour
it’s or its analyze or analyse?

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Worksheet

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are literary devices?
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Techniques writers use to enhance their writing and convey messages effectively.

How do literary devices differ from rhetorical devices?
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Literary devices are specific to creative writing, while rhetorical devices are broader.

Why should I learn about literary devices?
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They help you understand and appreciate literature more deeply.

Can I use literary devices in my own writing?
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Yes, they can make your writing more engaging and effective.

What’s the best way to remember different devices?
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Practice identifying them in texts you read regularly.

Sources

  1. Desert, Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, accessed on Oct 4, 2023.
  2. Dessert, Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, accessed on Oct 4, 2023.
  3. 12 most famous deserts in the world, Travel.earth
  4. Desert, Thesaurus.com, accessed on Oct 4, 2023.
  5. Dessert, Thesaurus.com, accessed on Oct 4, 2023.
  6. Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary. S.v. “desert.” Retrieved January 31 2024 from https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/desert

Grammar Expert. "Desert Vs Dessert Whats The Difference." GrammarFlex, May 30, 2025, http://www.grammarflex.com/desert-vs-dessert-whats-the-difference/.

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