European Union

/ˌjʊəɹəˈpiːən ˈjuːnjən/

//ˌjʊəɹəˈpiːən ˈjuːnjən// name

"european-union" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“European Union” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a proper noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
14
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A supranational organisation, consisting of 27 member states, created in the 1950s to bring the nations of Europe into closer economic and political connection.

Key facts for European Union
PropertyValue
HeadwordEuropean Union
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˌjʊəɹəˈpiːən ˈjuːnjən/
Letters14
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “European Union” sits in English frequency

European Union falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

European Union is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as aproper noun, transcribed /ˌjʊəɹəˈpiːən ˈjuːnjən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

European Union has no tracked misspelling variants, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Formed as European + Union, in the sense of the resistance group, after the German Europäische Union. The correct English form is European Union, spelled E-U-R-O-P-E-A-N- -U-N-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A supranational organisation, consisting of 27 member states, created in the 1950s to bring the nations of Europe into closer economic and political connection.
  2. 2
    An antifascist resistance group active during Germany’s Nazi era.

Etymology

Formed as European + Union, in the sense of the resistance group, after the German Europäische Union.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "European Union"?
"European Union" is spelled E-U-R-O-P-E-A-N- -U-N-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌjʊəɹəˈpiːən ˈjuːnjən/.
What does "European Union" mean?
As a proper noun, "European Union" means: A supranational organisation, consisting of 27 member states, created in the 1950s to bring the nations of Europe into closer economic and political connection.
How do you pronounce "European Union"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "European Union" is /ˌjʊəɹəˈpiːən ˈjuːnjən/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "European Union"?
Formed as European + Union, in the sense of the resistance group, after the German Europäische Union. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “European Union”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is E-U-R-O-P-E-A-N- -U-N-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌjʊəɹəˈpiːən ˈjuːnjən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list