You’re splitting a restaurant bill or helping with math homework, and you type “devide.”
Then you stop. Divide or devide? The second one looks fine, and some spell checkers don’t
always shout about it. That’s why so many people second-guess this word.
The answer is quick. Below you’ll also find the meaning, the symbol, synonyms, examples,
and a simple way to remember the spelling.
Quick Answer
The correct spelling is divide, with an “i” in the first syllable. In the divide or devide question, only divide is standard English. “Devide” is a misspelling you should fix.
Rule: it’s di-vide, like provide and decide.
- Divide the pizza into eight slices.
- Divide 42 by 14 and you get 3.
- The new road divides the town in two.
Divide Meaning
To divide means to split something into parts or groups. You can divide a cake, a team, a room, or a bill.
In math, it means finding how many times one number goes into another. Merriam-Webster also lists a sense of splitting people by opinion, as in “the issue divides voters.”
As a noun, a divide is a gap or split between groups. You’ll hear “the digital divide” or “a cultural divide.” In geography, a divide is a ridge that separates water flowing in different directions, like the Continental Divide.
Divide or Devide Meaning: Are They the Same Word?
Yes, they point to the same idea, but only one is correct. When people search for the divide or devide meaning, they usually want to know if “devide” means something different. It doesn’t. Devide is just a misspelling of divide, so the meaning is identical. Use divide.
Why Does “Devide” Look Right?
Many common words start with de-: decide, delete, define, develop. Your eye expects that pattern, so devide seems normal.
A close cousin makes it worse. Devise (to plan or invent) really does start with de-. According to Etymonline, it comes from the same Latin verb as divide, dividere. Two related words took different spellings, and writers mix them up.
The sound doesn’t help either. In normal speech, the first syllable of divide is soft, so your ear can’t tell di- from de-.
Was “Devide” Ever Spelled That Way on Purpose?
Yes, a long time ago. The Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue records devide as a Middle English variant of divide, with examples from the 1400s and 1500s. Spelling wasn’t fixed then, so writers spelled words by ear.
That’s not a reason to use it today. Modern spelling settled on divide. Think of “devide” as an old form that didn’t survive.
How to Pronounce Divide
Say dih-VIDE, or /dɪˈvaɪd/ in IPA. The stress falls on the second syllable, which rhymes with provide. The first syllable is quick and light, which is why di- and de- get confused.
Divide Symbol: What Is It and How Do You Type It?
The classic division sign is ÷, called an obelus. You’ll also see these:
| Symbol | Where it’s used |
|---|---|
| ÷ | School math, calculators, printed worksheets |
| / | Computers, spreadsheets, programming, fractions (10/2) |
| — (fraction bar) | Fractions written with one number over another |
| : | Ratios, and as a division sign in some countries |
To type ÷ on a Windows keyboard with a number pad, hold Alt and press 0247. On a Mac, press Option + /. On a phone, long-press the “/” key or look in the math symbols on the keyboard.
In Excel or Google Sheets, use “/” instead. A formula like =10/2 returns 5.
Divide or Devide Synonym: Words You Can Use Instead
There’s no synonym for “devide,” since it isn’t a real word. For divide, you have plenty of options:
| Synonym | Best used for |
|---|---|
| Split | Everyday talk: split the bill |
| Separate | Pulling things apart: separate the eggs |
| Share | Giving out portions: share the cake |
| Halve | Cutting into two equal parts |
| Partition | Formal or technical splitting: partition a drive |
| Apportion | Fair distribution: apportion the costs |
| Sever | Cutting off completely |
| Cleave | Formal, literary splitting |
| Carve up | Casual, often about dividing territory or profit |
Split and share fit most everyday sentences. Save partition and apportion for formal writing.
Divide or Devide Crossword: What’s the Answer?
In crosswords, the answer is DIVIDE (6 letters). Clues that often point to it are “Split,” “Separate,” or “Cut up.” “Devide” is not a standard crossword answer.
If you’re stuck on a different length, these may help:
- 4 letters: PART
- 5 letters: SPLIT, SEVER, HALVE, SHARE
- 6 letters: CLEAVE, DIVIDE
- 8 letters: SEPARATE
- 9 letters: PARTITION
Always match the letter count and the crossing letters before you fill in a word.
Divide Example: Sentences You Can Use
Seeing the word in context helps it stick. Here are some everyday sentences:
- Home: “Let’s divide the chores between the three of us.”
- School: “Divide 24 by 6, and you get 4.”
- Work: “We’ll divide the project into two phases.”
- Social media: “The digital divide is still real for many families.”
- Nature: “The cells divide rapidly under a microscope.”
Divide Into Example: How to Use “Divide Into”
Divide into is used when you name the parts that come out. It’s the phrase to use for most non-math sentences.
- “Divide the class into four groups.”
- “The author divided the book into three parts.”
- “Divide the dough into eight equal balls.”
In math, it flips the numbers. “Divide 42 by 14” means 42 is the number being split. “Divide 14 into 42” asks how many 14s fit into 42. Both give 3, so pick whichever sounds natural, but by is more common in school.
Divide Verb Forms: Divided, Dividing, Divides
Divide ends in a silent e, and that e drops before -ing.
| Form | Spelling | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Base | divide | We divide the work evenly. |
| Third person | divides | She divides the class into teams. |
| Past | divided | They divided the profits. |
| -ing form | dividing | He’s dividing the files by year. |
The wrong versions are devided, deviding, and divid. All three come from the de- confusion or a forgotten final e.
Divide, Division, Dividend, and Divisible
The word family changes in the middle, which causes a second wave of mistakes.
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Divide | verb, noun | To split; a split |
| Division | noun | The act of dividing; a section |
| Dividend | noun | The number being divided; a share of profits |
| Divisible | adjective | Able to be divided evenly |
| Divider | noun | A thing or person that divides |
Notice that division and divisible use “s,” not “d.” Also watch dividend, which is often misspelled “divident,” even in technical writing.
A Simple Way to Remember Divide
Divide belongs to the -ide family: provide, decide, confide, subside. You’d never write “provede,” so you won’t write “devide.” Another quick check: divide has two i’s and one e, in that order.
Common Mistakes
“Devide.” The big one. It comes from all the de- words that look similar. Fix: Please divide the cost.
“Devided” and “deviding.” The error carries into every form. Fix: divided, dividing.
“Divid.” People forget the final e when typing fast. Divide always ends in -e.
“Divident.” This belongs to dividend, not divide. The ending is -end, like weekend.
Mixing up devise and device. Devise is a verb (to plan), and device is a noun (a gadget). Neither means split, so neither can replace divide.
Expert Tips
Search code for “devide.” If you write code, a function named devide() spreads fast once a team copies it. Search your project and rename it early.
Don’t trust autocorrect alone. Some tools catch “devide,” and others skip it. Reading aloud won’t catch it either, since the sounds match.
Keep a short list of your own trouble words. If divide trips you up, write it down with a few others. Our guide on misspell or mispell is a good example of a word people often get wrong while searching for the right one.
If you like quick spelling comparisons, see our guide on congratulations or congradulations.
Related Questions
Is divide the same in British and American English? Yes. Both use divide, with no regional difference.
What does “divide and rule” mean? It means keeping a group weak by splitting it into smaller, opposing parts. Etymonline traces the phrase to around 1600.
Is “dividable” a word? Dictionaries list it, but divisible is the usual choice, especially in math.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it divide or devide?
Divide is correct. Devide is a misspelling.
Is “devide” ever correct?
Not in modern English. It appears only as an old Middle English variant.
What is the past tense of divide?
Divided. Never “devided.”
What is the symbol for divide?
The symbol is ÷, called an obelus. On computers, use the slash (/).
How do you pronounce divide?
Dih-VIDE, with the stress on the second syllable.
Final Verdict
The answer is divide. The word starts with di- and ends in -ide, just like provide and decide. Devide is a misspelling with the same meaning. Compare it to those two words if you’re unsure, and watch divided, dividing, and dividend.
Conclusion
Divide or devide stops being a puzzle once you know why the wrong one looks right. Blame the many de- words. Remember the -ide family, and the right spelling shows up on its own.
Before you publish or hit send, search your text once for “devide” and “devided.” It takes ten seconds and saves a typo.
Hi, I’m Toseef Mustafa, the creator of CompareWordz.com and a qualified English linguistics professional. My expertise includes English vocabulary, spelling, grammar, word meanings, and commonly confused words. I aim to explain language differences through clear explanations, accurate information, and practical examples. My goal is to help readers understand English better and use the right words with confidence.