unduly

/ʌnˈdjuːli/

//ʌnˈdjuːli// adv

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

The verdict

“unduly” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #29,875. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#29,875
frequency rank, English
23,789
“U” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Undeservedly; in a way that is not warranted.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

unduly vs unruly
83% similar
unduly vs unholy
67% similar
unduly vs undue
67% similar

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

Key facts for unduly
PropertyValue
Headwordunduly
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ʌnˈdjuːli/
Letters6
Frequency rank#29,875
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “unduly” 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). unduly lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around unduly (IPA /ʌnˈdjuːli/), anadverb. Corpus frequency is #29,875 among 23,789 “U” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Undeservedly; in a way that is not warranted.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for unduly, with forms such as "nuduly", "udnuly", and "undduly". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "unruly", "unholy", "undue", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From undue + -ly or un- + duly. The correct English form is unduly, spelled U-N-D-U-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Undeservedly; in a way that is not warranted.

Etymology

From undue + -ly or un- + duly.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: nuduly,udnuly,undduly,undluy,undully,undulyy,unduyl,unnduly,unudly

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

nuduly2udnuly2undduly1undluy2undully1undulyy1unduyl2unnduly1
Edit distance from "unduly"

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 "unduly"?
"unduly" is spelled U-N-D-U-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ʌnˈdjuːli/.
What does "unduly" mean?
As an adverb, "unduly" means: Undeservedly; in a way that is not warranted.
What words are commonly confused with "unduly"?
"unduly" is commonly confused with "unruly", "unholy", "undue". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "unduly"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "unduly" is /ʌnˈdjuːli/. 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 "unduly"?
From undue + -ly or un- + duly. 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 “unduly”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is U-N-D-U-L-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ʌnˈdjuːli/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “unruly” - see the side-by-side comparison. unduly vs unruly
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list