unfurl

/ʌnˈfəːl/

//ʌnˈfəːl// verb

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

"unfurl" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“unfurl” is uncommon English (frequency #72,859 among 1,433 “U” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#72,859
frequency rank, English
1,433
“U” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To unroll or release something that had been rolled up, typically a sail or a flag.

Corpus desk

Index EN-unfurl · unfurl · English

unfurl · rank #72,859 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #72,859
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,433
  • PHOTO-FINISH unexpired

Nearest frequency peer: unexpired (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “unfurl”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “unfurl” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for unfurl
PropertyValue
Headwordunfurl
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ʌnˈfəːl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#72,859
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “unfurl” in English

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “unexpired” (#72,858), “Uniontown” (#72,860), “underfloor” (#72,856). Among 1,433 “U” headwords, “unfurl” is #72,859. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

unfurl is uncommon English at frequency #72,859 among 1,433 “U” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ʌnˈfəːl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for unfurl in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From un- + furl. The correct English form is unfurl, spelled U-N-F-U-R-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    To unroll or release something that had been rolled up, typically a sail or a flag.
  2. 2
    To roll out or debut anything.
  3. 3
    To open up by unrolling.
  4. 4
    To turn out or unfold; to evolve; to progress.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. They unfurled the flag at the start of the festival.
  2. BEHIND him lay the gray Azores, / Behind the Gates of Hercules; / Before him not the ghost of shores, / Before him only shoreless seas. // The good mate said: “Now must we pray, / For lo! the very stars are gone. / Brave Admiral, speak, what shall I say?” / “Why, say, ‘Sail on! sail on! and on!’” “My men grow mutinous day by day; / My men grow ghastly wan…

Etymology

From un- + furl.

Antonyms

furlroll

This word in other languages

lagar(Español)déployer(Français)entfalten(Deutsch)

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 "unfurl"?
"unfurl" is spelled U-N-F-U-R-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ʌnˈfəːl/.
What does "unfurl" mean?
As a verb, "unfurl" means: To unroll or release something that had been rolled up, typically a sail or a flag.
How do you pronounce "unfurl"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "unfurl" is /ʌnˈfəːl/. 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 "unfurl"?
From un- + furl. 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 "unfurl", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

uglies#72,850Tyrese#72,849Truong#72,844triune#72,843

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list