unkind

/ʌnˈkaɪnd/

//ʌnˈkaɪnd// adj

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

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

The verdict

“unkind” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #29,505. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#29,505
frequency rank, English
1,433
“U” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Lacking kindness, sympathy, benevolence, gratitude, or similar; cruel, harsh or unjust; ungrateful.

Corpus desk

Index EN-unkind · unkind · English

unkind · rank #29,505 · 9 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #29,505
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,433
  • PHOTO-FINISH uninformed

Nearest frequency peer: uninformed (-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 “unkind”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “unkind” 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).

unkind vs Unwin
50% similar
unkind vs unwind
83% similar
unkind vs untied
67% similar

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

Key facts for unkind
PropertyValue
Headwordunkind
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ʌnˈkaɪnd/
Letters6
Frequency rank#29,505
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “unkind”

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).unkindlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “uninformed” (#29,504), “unresponsive” (#29,506), “unhelpful” (#29,503). Among 1,433 “U” headwords, “unkind” is #29,505. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around unkind (IPA /ʌnˈkaɪnd/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #29,505 among 1,433 “U” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for unkind, with forms such as "nukind", "uknind", and "uniknd". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "Unwin", "unwind", "untied", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English unkynde; equivalent to un- + kind. The correct English form is unkind, spelled U-N-K-I-N-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Lacking kindness, sympathy, benevolence, gratitude, or similar; cruel, harsh or unjust; ungrateful.
  2. 2
    Not kind; contrary to nature or type; unnatural.
  3. 3
    Having no race or kindred; childless.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Judge, O you gods, how dearly Caesar loved him! This was the most unkindest cut of all; For when the noble Caesar saw him stab, Ingratitude, more strong than traitors’ arms, Quite vanquish’d him: then burst his mighty heart;
  2. Yet was it ne’er my Fate, from thee to find A Deed ungentle, or a Word unkind: When others curst the Auth’ress of their Woe, Thy Pity check’d my Sorrows in their Flow:

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English unkynde; equivalent to un- + kind.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • nukind
  • uknind
  • uniknd
  • unkidn
  • unkindd
  • unkinnd
  • unkkind
  • unknid
  • unnkind

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

nukind2uknind2uniknd2unkidn2unkindd1unkinnd1unkkind1unknid2
Edit distance from "unkind"

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 "unkind"?
"unkind" is spelled U-N-K-I-N-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ʌnˈkaɪnd/.
What does "unkind" mean?
As an adjective, "unkind" means: Lacking kindness, sympathy, benevolence, gratitude, or similar; cruel, harsh or unjust; ungrateful.
What words are commonly confused with "unkind"?
"unkind" is commonly confused with "Unwin", "unwind", "untied". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "unkind"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "unkind" is /ʌnˈkaɪnd/. 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 "unkind"?
Inherited from Middle English unkynde; equivalent to un- + kind. 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 "unkind", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

toying#29,497swivel#29,489sultry#29,485woulda#29,526

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

zealous9 variantsstasis9 variantssordid9 variantssleigh9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list