unfit

Name: unfit, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ʌnˈfɪt/

//ʌnˈfɪt// adj

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed September 3, 2026

The verdict

“unfit” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #14,662. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#14,662
frequency rank, English: 1,433
“U” headwords: 7
tracked misspellings: 12
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Not fit; not having the correct requirements.

Corpus desk

Index EN-unfit · unfit · English

unfit · rank #14,662 · 7 variants · 12 confusables

FREQ-MID #14,662
LEN-MID 5 letters
VOW-2 2 vowels
CONFUS-MID 12 pairs
VAR-MID 7 variants
BOOK-MID 1,433
PHOTO-FINISH uphold

Nearest frequency peer: uphold (+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.

typed

85,343
tyranny

85,342
tyres

85,341
unfit

85,339
uphold

85,338
vita

85,337

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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

unfit vs uni

60% similar

unfit vs unit

80% similar

unfit vs Unix

40% similar

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

Key facts for unfit
Property	Value
Headword	unfit
Language	English
Part of speech	Adjective
IPA	/ʌnˈfɪt/
Letters	5
Frequency rank	#14,662
Misspellings tracked	7
Confusable pairs	12
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “unfit”

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).unfitlands here:

#14,662

#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 “uphold” (#14,663), “tyres” (#14,660), “vita” (#14,664). Among 1,433 “U” headwords, “unfit” is #14,662. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around unfit (IPA /ʌnˈfɪt/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #14,662 among 1,433 “U” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for unfit, with forms such as "nufit", "ufnit", and "unffit". 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 12 confusable-pair relationships, "uni", "unit", "Unix", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From un- + fit. The correct English form is unfit, spelled U-N-F-I-T.

Definition

1
Not fit; not having the correct requirements.
2
Not fit, not having a good physical demeanor.
3
Unsuitable for a particular purpose.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

Jack cannot run, making him unfit for the track team.
The latter engine was found unfit to take its return working at 5.35 p.m. from Luton, and No. 45616, Malta G.C., was provided by Kentish Town as substitute.

Etymology

From un- + fit.

This word in other languages

impropio(Español)inapte(Français)untauglich(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

nufit
ufnit
unffit
unfitt
unfti
unift
unnfit

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

Edit distance from "unfit"

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 "unfit"?

"unfit" is spelled U-N-F-I-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ʌnˈfɪt/.

What does "unfit" mean?

As an adjective, "unfit" means: Not fit; not having the correct requirements.

What words are commonly confused with "unfit"?

"unfit" is commonly confused with "uni", "unit", "Unix". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "unfit"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "unfit" is /ʌnˈfɪt/. 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 "unfit"?

From un- + fit. 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 "unfit", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

tyres#14,660 typed#14,658 weeds#14,669 truce#14,654

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

Tibet7 variants stool7 variants approx7 variants sails7 variants