uncertain
un·cer·tain/ʌnˈsɜɹ.tən/adjective, noun
uncertain is spelled U-N-C-E-R-T-A-I-N: 9 letters and 3 syllables (un·cer·tain). It appears 9.8 times per million words in written English, the 7,224th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, uncertain means “Not certain; unsure” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in uncertain?
| Letters | 9: U-N-C-E-R-T-A-I-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: un·cer·tain |
| In writing | 9.8 times per million words; the 7,224th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is uncertain?
Uncertain appears 9.8 times per million words in written English, the 7,224th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce uncertain?
- UK /ʌnˈsɜːtən/
- US /ʌnˈsɜɹ.tən/
Uncertain has 3 syllables, split un·cer·tain in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-uncertain.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with uncertain?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as uncertain from its last stressed vowel (/ɜɹtən/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of uncertain
- more uncertain comparative
- most uncertain superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does uncertain mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Not certain; unsure.
- 2
Not known for certain; questionable.
Tomorrow's weather is uncertain.
- 3
Not yet determined; undecided.
- 4
Variable and subject to change.
- 5
Fitful or unsteady.
- 6
Unpredictable or capricious.
noun
- 1
Something uncertain; everything uncertain.
Near-synonyms: uncertainty (countable sense), uncertainties
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Uncertain in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | incertain |
| German | ungewiss, unsicher , unbestimmt , unbeständig |
| Portuguese | incerto , indeterminado |
| Spanish | incierto, poco certero |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does uncertain come from?
From Middle English uncerteyn. By surface analysis, un- + certain.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).