unicorn

/ˈjuː.nɪ.kɔːn/

//ˈjuː.nɪ.kɔːn// noun

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

"unicorn" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“unicorn” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #14,241. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#14,241
frequency rank, English
1,433
“U” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A mythical horse, widely believed to exist until the 17th century, with a single, straight, spiraled horn projecting from its forehead.

Corpus desk

Index EN-unicorn · unicorn · English

unicorn · rank #14,241 · 10 variants · 5 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #14,241
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 5 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,433
  • PHOTO-FINISH uniquely

Nearest frequency peer: uniquely (+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 “unicorn”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “unicorn” 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).

unicorn vs union
71% similar
unicorn vs UNISON
0% similar
unicorn vs uniform
71% similar

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

Key facts for unicorn
PropertyValue
Headwordunicorn
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈjuː.nɪ.kɔːn/
Letters7
Frequency rank#14,241
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “unicorn”

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

#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 “uniquely” (#14,242), “tweeting” (#14,239), “unrealistic” (#14,243). Among 1,433 “U” headwords, “unicorn” is #14,241. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around unicorn (IPA /ˈjuː.nɪ.kɔːn/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #14,241 among 1,433 “U” headwords. Wiktionary lists 15 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for unicorn, with forms such as "nuicorn", "uincorn", and "unciorn". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "union", "UNISON", "uniform", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English unicorne, unikorn, from Anglo-Norman unicorne, Old French unicorne, and their source, Latin ūnicornis, from ūnus (“one”) + cornū (“horn”). Displaced native Old English ānhorn, itself a calque. Other senses from either rarity (e.g., posse… The correct English form is unicorn, spelled U-N-I-C-O-R-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A mythical horse, widely believed to exist until the 17th century, with a single, straight, spiraled horn projecting from its forehead.
  2. 2
    In various Bible translations, used to render the Latin unicornis or rhinoceros (representing Hebrew רְאֵם): a reem or wild ox.
  3. 3
    Certain animals:
  4. 4
    Certain animals:
  5. 5
    Certain animals:
  6. 6
    Certain animals:
  7. 7
    Certain animals:
  8. 8
    A howitzer.
  9. 9
    Someone or something that is rare and hard to find.
  10. 10
    Someone or something that is rare and hard to find.
  11. 11
    Someone or something that is rare and hard to find.
  12. 12
    Someone or something that is rare and hard to find.
  13. 13
    Someone or something that is rare and hard to find.
  14. 14
    Being many (especially pastel) colours; multicoloured.
  15. 15
    A 15th-century Scottish gold coin worth 18 shillings, bearing the image of a unicorn.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. [Seb.] A liuing Drolerie: now I will beleeue / That there are Vnicornes:[…]
  2. The unicorn who may be touched and tamed only by a chaste virgin is a lunar symbol of the ancient religion of Europe.

Etymology

From Middle English unicorne, unikorn, from Anglo-Norman unicorne, Old French unicorne, and their source, Latin ūnicornis, from ūnus (“one”) + cornū (“horn”). Displaced native Old English ānhorn, itself a calque. Other senses from either rarity (e.g., possessing multiple skills) or by physical resemblance to having a horn (e.g., howitzer). The finance sense was coined by American investor Aileen Lee and first used in a 2013 article.

This word in other languages

unicornio(Español)licorne(Français)Einhorn(Deutsch)unicórnio(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • nuicorn
  • uincorn
  • unciorn
  • uniccorn
  • uniconr
  • unicornn
  • unicorrn
  • unicron
  • uniocrn
  • unnicorn

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

nuicorn2uincorn2unciorn2uniccorn1uniconr2unicornn1unicorrn1unicron2
Edit distance from "unicorn"

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 "unicorn"?
"unicorn" is spelled U-N-I-C-O-R-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈjuː.nɪ.kɔːn/.
What does "unicorn" mean?
As a noun, "unicorn" means: A mythical horse, widely believed to exist until the 17th century, with a single, straight, spiraled horn projecting from its forehead.
What words are commonly confused with "unicorn"?
"unicorn" is commonly confused with "union", "UNISON", "uniform". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "unicorn"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "unicorn" is /ˈjuː.nɪ.kɔːn/. 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 "unicorn"?
From Middle English unicorne, unikorn, from Anglo-Norman unicorne, Old French unicorne, and their source, Latin ūnicornis, from ūnus (“one”) + cornū (“horn”). Displaced native Old English ānhorn, itself a calque. Other senses from either rarity (e... 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 "unicorn", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

swiftly#14,233striped#14,231weaving#14,251welding#14,252

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

seismic10 variantsBahamas10 variantsrunaway10 variantsrobotic10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list