unflattering

adj

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

"unflattering" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“unflattering” has 17 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #39,146. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#39,146
frequency rank, English
1,433
“U” headwords
17
tracked misspellings

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

Corpus desk

Index EN-unflattering · unflattering · English

unflattering · rank #39,146 · 17 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #39,146
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 17 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,433
  • PHOTO-FINISH unrecognizable

Nearest frequency peer: unrecognizable (+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 “unflattering”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “unflattering” 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
Key facts for unflattering
PropertyValue
Headwordunflattering
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
Letters12
Frequency rank#39,146
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “unflattering”

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).unflatteringlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “unrecognizable” (#39,147), “unconscionable” (#39,144), “unaffiliated” (#39,143). Among 1,433 “U” headwords, “unflattering” is #39,146. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 17 spelling variants around unflattering, anadjective. Corpus frequency is #39,146 among 1,433 “U” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Not flattering.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for unflattering, with forms such as "nuflattering", "ufnlattering", and "unfalttering". 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. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From un- + flattering. The correct English form is unflattering, spelled U-N-F-L-A-T-T-E-R-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    Not flattering.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Daniel Halper, online editor at the conservative Weekly Standard and the author of Clinton, Inc., an unflattering portrait of the Clintons, theorizes Huma had little choice after the second sexting fiasco but to stick with Hillary.

Etymology

From un- + flattering.

Antonyms

flattering

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • nuflattering
  • ufnlattering
  • unfalttering
  • unfflattering
  • unflatering
  • unflatetring
  • unflatteirng
  • unflatterign
  • unflatteringg
  • unflatterinng
  • unflatternig
  • unflatterring
  • unflattreing
  • unfllattering
  • unfltatering
  • unlfattering
  • unnflattering

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

nuflattering2ufnlattering2unfalttering2unfflattering1unflatering1unflatetring2unflatteirng2unflatterign2
Edit distance from "unflattering"

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 "unflattering"?
"unflattering" is spelled U-N-F-L-A-T-T-E-R-I-N-G.
What does "unflattering" mean?
As an adjective, "unflattering" means: Not flattering.
What are common misspellings of "unflattering"?
Common misspellings include "nuflattering", "ufnlattering", "unfalttering", "unfflattering", "unflatering". The correct spelling is "unflattering".
What is the origin of the word "unflattering"?
From un- + flattering. 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 "unflattering", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 12 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

unaffiliated#39,143unstructured#39,150trigonometry#39,135tranquillity#39,132

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (17 here; floor ≥5).

unscheduled17 variantschlorophyll17 variantsconcomitant17 variantsPoughkeepsie17 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list