unearth

/ʌnˈɜː(ɹ)θ/

//ʌnˈɜː(ɹ)θ// verb

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

"unearth" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“unearth” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #42,471. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#42,471
frequency rank, English
1,433
“U” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To drive or draw from the earth.

Corpus desk

Index EN-unearth · unearth · English

unearth · rank #42,471 · 10 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #42,471
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,433
  • PHOTO-FINISH undeserved

Nearest frequency peer: undeserved (-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 “unearth”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “unearth” 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).

unearth vs unearthed
78% similar

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

Key facts for unearth
PropertyValue
Headwordunearth
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ʌnˈɜː(ɹ)θ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#42,471
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “unearth”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).unearthlands 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 “undeserved” (#42,470), “unsaid” (#42,472), “unsurprising” (#42,473). Among 1,433 “U” headwords, “unearth” is #42,471. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around unearth (IPA /ʌnˈɜː(ɹ)θ/), averb. Corpus frequency is #42,471 among 1,433 “U” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for unearth, with forms such as "nuearth", "uenarth", and "unaerth". 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 also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "unearthed", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English unherthen, equivalent to un- + earth. The correct English form is unearth, spelled U-N-E-A-R-T-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    To drive or draw from the earth.
  2. 2
    To dig up.
  3. 3
    To uncover or find; to bring out from concealment.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. to unearth a fox or a badger
  2. Modern archaeological excavations have unearthed the remains of a large number of ancient cities that lay buried deep under the sands for more than a thousand years, along the trade route from Bactria to China passing between the Tien Shan mountains in the north and the desert of Taklamakan in the south.

Etymology

From Middle English unherthen, equivalent to un- + earth.

This word in other languages

descubrir(Español)découvrir(Français)aufdecken(Deutsch)desenterrar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • nuearth
  • uenarth
  • unaerth
  • unearht
  • unearrth
  • unearthh
  • uneartth
  • uneatrh
  • unerath
  • unnearth

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of unearth - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

nuearth2uenarth2unaerth2unearht2unearrth1unearthh1uneartth1uneatrh2
Edit distance from "unearth"

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 "unearth"?
"unearth" is spelled U-N-E-A-R-T-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ʌnˈɜː(ɹ)θ/.
What does "unearth" mean?
As a verb, "unearth" means: To drive or draw from the earth.
What words are commonly confused with "unearth"?
"unearth" is commonly confused with "unearthed". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "unearth"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "unearth" is /ʌnˈɜː(ɹ)θ/. 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 "unearth"?
From Middle English unherthen, equivalent to un- + earth. 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 "unearth", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

velvety#42,479trapeze#42,459Torrens#42,456wheelie#42,487

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

uttering10 variantswiretap10 variantstailing10 variantssqualor10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list