unanswerable

/ʌnˈɑːnsəɹəb(ə)l/

//ʌnˈɑːnsəɹəb(ə)l// adj

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

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

The verdict

“unanswerable” is uncommon English (frequency #69,546 among 1,433 “U” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#69,546
frequency rank, English
1,433
“U” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Not answerable; impossible to answer.

Corpus desk

Index EN-unanswerable · unanswerable · English

unanswerable · rank #69,546 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #69,546
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,433
  • PHOTO-FINISH Ulmer

Nearest frequency peer: Ulmer (-2 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.

Long-tail ranks near “unanswerable”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “unanswerable” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for unanswerable
PropertyValue
Headwordunanswerable
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ʌnˈɑːnsəɹəb(ə)l/
Letters12
Frequency rank#69,546
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “unanswerable” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).unanswerablefalls in this rarity band:

#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. Rare peers in the same band: “Ulmer” (#69,544), “undoes” (#69,548), “unexamined” (#69,550). Among 1,433 “U” headwords, “unanswerable” is #69,546. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

unanswerable is uncommon English at frequency #69,546 among 1,433 “U” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ʌnˈɑːnsəɹəb(ə)l/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

unanswerable has no tracked misspelling variants, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From un- + answerable. The correct English form is unanswerable, spelled U-N-A-N-S-W-E-R-A-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Not answerable; impossible to answer.
  2. 2
    Impossible to dispute or rebut; irrefutable; conclusive.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. If I have not said much about it before, it was, of course, that the Professor's earnest desire was that no possible rumor of the unanswerable argument which we carried should be allowed to leak out until the moment came when his enemies were to be confuted.
  2. The map is never an unanswerable argument in transportation.

Etymology

From un- + answerable.

This word in other languages

unbeantwortbar(Deutsch)irrefutável(Português)

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "unanswerable"?
"unanswerable" is spelled U-N-A-N-S-W-E-R-A-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ʌnˈɑːnsəɹəb(ə)l/.
What does "unanswerable" mean?
As an adjective, "unanswerable" means: Not answerable; impossible to answer.
How do you pronounce "unanswerable"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "unanswerable" is /ʌnˈɑːnsəɹəb(ə)l/. 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 "unanswerable"?
From un- + answerable. 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 "unanswerable", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

wholehearted#69,585subservience#69,476straightener#69,469Shuttleworth#69,446

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list