unacceptable

/ˌʌn.ækˈsɛp.tə.bl̩/

//ˌʌn.ækˈsɛp.tə.bl̩// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"unacceptable" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“unacceptable” has 17 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #8,736. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#8,736
frequency rank, English
1,433
“U” headwords
17
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Unsatisfactory; not acceptable.

Corpus desk

Index EN-unacceptable · unacceptable · English

unacceptable · rank #8,736 · 17 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #8,736
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 17 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,433
  • PHOTO-FINISH tuned

Nearest frequency peer: tuned (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Frequency neighbourhood for “unacceptable”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “unacceptable” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for unacceptable
PropertyValue
Headwordunacceptable
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˌʌn.ækˈsɛp.tə.bl̩/
Letters12
Frequency rank#8,736
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “unacceptable” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).unacceptable lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 17 spelling variants around unacceptable (IPA /ˌʌn.ækˈsɛp.tə.bl̩/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #8,736 among 1,433 “U” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for unacceptable, with forms such as "nuacceptable", "uancceptable", and "unaccepatble". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English unacceptabylle, equivalent to un- + acceptable. The correct English form is unacceptable, spelled U-N-A-C-C-E-P-T-A-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Unsatisfactory; not acceptable.
  2. 2
    Not conforming to accepted usage.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how unacceptable appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. "This shocking report proves once again that we urgently need a radical shake-up of hospital care," said Jeremy Hughes, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Society. "Given that people with dementia occupy a quarter of hospital beds and that many leave in worse health than when they were admitted, it is unacceptable that training in dementia care is not the…
  2. The British Transport Commission (BTC) was created to own not just the railways, but also London Underground, docks, inland waterways, and some road haulage activities. Its remit was to operate on a break-even basis, with sustained losses unacceptable.

Etymology

From Middle English unacceptabylle, equivalent to un- + acceptable.

Synonyms

inacceptableout of bounds

Antonyms

acceptable

This word in other languages

inaceptable(Español)inacceptable(Français)inakzeptabel(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • nuacceptable
  • uancceptable
  • unaccepatble
  • unaccepptable
  • unacceptabble
  • unacceptabel
  • unacceptablle
  • unacceptalbe
  • unacceptbale
  • unacceptible
  • unaccepttable
  • unaccetpable
  • unaccpetable
  • unacecptable
  • unaceptable
  • uncaceptable
  • unnacceptable

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of unacceptable - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

nuacceptable2uancceptable2unaccepatble2unaccepptable1unacceptabble1unacceptabel2unacceptablle1unacceptalbe2
Edit distance from "unacceptable"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "unacceptable"?
"unacceptable" is spelled U-N-A-C-C-E-P-T-A-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌʌn.ækˈsɛp.tə.bl̩/.
What does "unacceptable" mean?
As an adjective, "unacceptable" means: Unsatisfactory; not acceptable.
What are common misspellings of "unacceptable"?
Common misspellings include "nuacceptable", "uancceptable", "unaccepatble", "unaccepptable", "unacceptabble". The correct spelling is "unacceptable".
How do you pronounce "unacceptable"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "unacceptable" is /ˌʌn.ækˈsɛp.tə.bl̩/. 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 "unacceptable"?
From Middle English unacceptabylle, equivalent to un- + acceptable. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "unacceptable", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 12 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

preparations#8,708accompanying#8,882intersection#8,560geographical#8,935

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (17 here; floor ≥5).

prospective17 variantsproblematic17 variantsneighboring17 variantsextensively17 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "unacceptable". Here's where to go from here.

  • 17 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #8,736 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "U" letter cohort. U–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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