unfasten

/ʌnˈfɑːs(ə)n/

//ʌnˈfɑːs(ə)n// verb

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

"unfasten" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“unfasten” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To detach from any connecting agency or link; to disconnect.

Corpus desk

Index EN-unfasten · unfasten · English

unfasten · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "U" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for unfasten
PropertyValue
Headwordunfasten
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ʌnˈfɑːs(ə)n/
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “unfasten” sits in English frequency

unfastenfalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

unfasten is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /ʌnˈfɑːs(ə)n/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for unfasten in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From un- + fasten. The correct English form is unfasten, spelled U-N-F-A-S-T-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    To detach from any connecting agency or link; to disconnect.
  2. 2
    To come unloosed or untied.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. He doth unfasten so and shake a friend.

Etymology

From un- + fasten.

Synonyms

undo

Antonyms

do upbuttonbutton uptie upzipzip up

This word in other languages

desabrochar(Español)défaire(Français)lösen(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "unfasten"?
"unfasten" is spelled U-N-F-A-S-T-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ʌnˈfɑːs(ə)n/.
What does "unfasten" mean?
As a verb, "unfasten" means: To detach from any connecting agency or link; to disconnect.
How do you pronounce "unfasten"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "unfasten" is /ʌnˈfɑːs(ə)n/. 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 "unfasten"?
From un- + fasten. 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.

What to do next

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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