undead

/ʌnˈdɛd/

//ʌnˈdɛd// adj

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

"undead" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“undead” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #20,528. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#20,528
frequency rank, English
1,433
“U” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Not dead; alive.

Corpus desk

Index EN-undead · undead · English

undead · rank #20,528 · 8 variants · 6 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #20,528
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 6 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,433
  • PHOTO-FINISH ubuntu

Nearest frequency peer: ubuntu (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “undead”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “undead” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

undead vs under
67% similar
undead vs unreal
67% similar
undead vs unload
67% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for undead
PropertyValue
Headwordundead
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ʌnˈdɛd/
Letters6
Frequency rank#20,528
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “undead”

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).undeadlands 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. Same rarity band neighbours include “ubuntu” (#20,527), “UNISON” (#20,529), “tweak” (#20,526). Among 1,433 “U” headwords, “undead” is #20,528. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around undead (IPA /ʌnˈdɛd/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #20,528 among 1,433 “U” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for undead, with forms such as "nudead", "udnead", and "undaed". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "under", "unreal", "unload", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English undede, equivalent to un- + dead. The first attestation is from around 1400. The term was revived, popularized, and imbued with supernatural connotations by its usage in Bram Stoker's novel Dracula (1897). The correct English form is undead, spelled U-N-D-E-A-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Not dead; alive.
  2. 2
    Pertaining to a corpse, though having qualities of life.
  3. 3
    Being animate, though non-living.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. When Anna and John finally break out of their self-centered bubbles to the shock that they must battle to the death an undead neighbor in a giant snowman costume, it plays like a poignant comment on movie teenagers' tendency to indulge their inner lives, ignorant of the world around them.

Etymology

From Middle English undede, equivalent to un- + dead. The first attestation is from around 1400. The term was revived, popularized, and imbued with supernatural connotations by its usage in Bram Stoker's novel Dracula (1897).

This word in other languages

zombi(Español)mort-vivant(Français)morto-vivo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • nudead
  • udnead
  • undaed
  • unddead
  • undeadd
  • undeda
  • unedad
  • unndead

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of undead - 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.

nudead2udnead2undaed2unddead1undeadd1undeda2unedad2unndead1
Edit distance from "undead"

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 "undead"?
"undead" is spelled U-N-D-E-A-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ʌnˈdɛd/.
What does "undead" mean?
As an adjective, "undead" means: Not dead; alive.
What words are commonly confused with "undead"?
"undead" is commonly confused with "under", "unreal", "unload". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "undead"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "undead" is /ʌnˈdɛd/. 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 "undead"?
From Middle English undede, equivalent to un- + dead. The first attestation is from around 1400. The term was revived, popularized, and imbued with supernatural connotations by its usage in Bram Stoker's novel Dracula (1897). 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 "undead", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

ubuntu#20,527UNISON#20,529uplift#20,535tinted#20,516

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

Tanaka8 variantsangst8 variantssnuck8 variantssilica8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list