ungrateful

/ʌnˈɡɹeɪtfəl/

//ʌnˈɡɹeɪtfəl// adj

"ungrateful" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“ungrateful” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #18,984 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#18,984
frequency rank, English
10
letters
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Not grateful; not expressing gratitude.

Key facts for ungrateful
PropertyValue
Headwordungrateful
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ʌnˈɡɹeɪtfəl/
Letters10
Frequency rank#18,984
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ungrateful” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for ungrateful is 10 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ʌnˈɡɹeɪtfəl/. Corpus data places it at rank #18,984 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for ungrateful, with forms such as "nugrateful", "ugnrateful", and "ungarteful". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

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

Definition

  1. 1
    Not grateful; not expressing gratitude.
  2. 2
    Disagreeable, repellent, unpleasant.

Etymology

From un- + grateful.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: nugrateful,ugnrateful,ungarteful,unggrateful,ungraetful,ungratefful,ungrateflu,ungratefull,ungrateufl,ungratfeul,ungratteful,ungrrateful,ungrtaeful,unngrateful,unrgateful

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of ungrateful - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

nugrateful2ugnrateful2ungarteful2unggrateful1ungraetful2ungratefful1ungrateflu2ungratefull1
Edit distance from "ungrateful"

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 "ungrateful"?
"ungrateful" is spelled U-N-G-R-A-T-E-F-U-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ʌnˈɡɹeɪtfəl/.
What does "ungrateful" mean?
As an adjective, "ungrateful" means: Not grateful; not expressing gratitude.
What are common misspellings of "ungrateful"?
Common misspellings include "nugrateful", "ugnrateful", "ungarteful", "unggrateful", "ungraetful". The correct spelling is "ungrateful".
How do you pronounce "ungrateful"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ungrateful" is /ʌnˈɡɹeɪtfəl/. 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 "ungrateful"?
From un- + grateful. 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.

Using “ungrateful”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is U-N-G-R-A-T-E-F-U-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ʌnˈɡɹeɪtfəl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list