unlace
"unlace" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“unlace” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 6
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To remove the knot from laces; to undo laces.
Corpus desk
Index EN-unlace · unlace · English
unlace · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 6 letters
- VOW-3 3 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "U" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
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.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | unlace |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| Letters | 6 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “unlace” in English
Rare enough to double-check
unlace is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.
unlace has no tracked misspelling variants, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English unlacen, unlasen, equivalent to un- + lace. The correct English form is unlace, spelled U-N-L-A-C-E.
Definition
- 1To remove the knot from laces; to undo laces.
- 2To loosen the clothing of (a person).
- 3To remove (film) from a projector.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how unlace appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
Unlace your shoes before taking them off.
Bradly tapped the ashes from his pipe, signifying a leisured interlude over. "Time to get a move on," he said, and began to unlace his boots for wading.
Etymology
From Middle English unlacen, unlasen, equivalent to un- + lace.
Antonyms
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.