unfortunate

/ʌnˈfɔː.t͡ʃə.nɪt/

//ʌnˈfɔː.t͡ʃə.nɪt// adj

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

"unfortunate" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“unfortunate” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #5,924. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#5,924
frequency rank, English
1,433
“U” headwords
16
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

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

Corpus desk

Index EN-unfortunate · unfortunate · English

unfortunate · rank #5,924 · 16 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-COMMON #5,924
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,433
  • PHOTO-FINISH tribe

Nearest frequency peer: tribe (-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 “unfortunate”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “unfortunate” 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).

unfortunate vs unfortunately
85% similar

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

Key facts for unfortunate
PropertyValue
Headwordunfortunate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ʌnˈfɔː.t͡ʃə.nɪt/
Letters11
Frequency rank#5,924
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “unfortunate”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).unfortunatelands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “tribe” (#5,923), “variable” (#5,925), “tends” (#5,922). Among 1,433 “U” headwords, “unfortunate” is #5,924. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around unfortunate (IPA /ʌnˈfɔː.t͡ʃə.nɪt/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #5,924 among 1,433 “U” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for unfortunate, with forms such as "nufortunate", "ufnortunate", and "unffortunate". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "unfortunately", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From un- + fortunate, doublet of infortunate. The correct English form is unfortunate, spelled U-N-F-O-R-T-U-N-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Not favored by fortune.
  2. 2
    Marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune.
  3. 3
    Regrettable or unsuitable.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Thus ended the life of one of the most unfortunate of small railway concerns.
  2. But as the tower and towee reached the cross-roads again, another car, negligently driven, came round the corner, hit the Morris, and severed the tow rope, sending the unfortunate car back again into the shop window[…]

Etymology

From un- + fortunate, doublet of infortunate.

This word in other languages

desafortunado(Español)infortuné(Français)unglücklich(Deutsch)infeliz(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • nufortunate
  • ufnortunate
  • unffortunate
  • unforrtunate
  • unfortnuate
  • unforttunate
  • unfortuante
  • unfortunaet
  • unfortunatte
  • unfortunnate
  • unfortuntae
  • unforutnate
  • unfotrunate
  • unfrotunate
  • unnfortunate
  • unofrtunate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

nufortunate2ufnortunate2unffortunate1unforrtunate1unfortnuate2unforttunate1unfortuante2unfortunaet2
Edit distance from "unfortunate"

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 "unfortunate"?
"unfortunate" is spelled U-N-F-O-R-T-U-N-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ʌnˈfɔː.t͡ʃə.nɪt/.
What does "unfortunate" mean?
As an adjective, "unfortunate" means: Not favored by fortune.
What words are commonly confused with "unfortunate"?
"unfortunate" is commonly confused with "unfortunately". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "unfortunate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "unfortunate" is /ʌnˈfɔː.t͡ʃə.nɪt/. 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 "unfortunate"?
From un- + fortunate, doublet of infortunate. 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 "unfortunate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Connecticut#5,948complaining#5,867Palestinian#5,993restoration#6,008

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (16 here; floor ≥5).

preventing16 variantsappreciation16 variantspreference16 variantsproportion16 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list