unlike

/ʌnˈlaɪk/

//ʌnˈlaɪk// adj

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

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

The verdict

“unlike” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #2,652. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,652
frequency rank, English
1,433
“U” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Not like; dissimilar (to); having no resemblance; unalike.

Corpus desk

Index EN-unlike · unlike · English

unlike · rank #2,652 · 8 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,652
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,433
  • PHOTO-FINISH ultimately

Nearest frequency peer: ultimately (-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 “unlike”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “unlike” 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).

unlike vs unwise
67% similar
unlike vs unlikely
75% similar
unlike vs unite
67% similar

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

Key facts for unlike
PropertyValue
Headwordunlike
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ʌnˈlaɪk/
Letters6
Frequency rank#2,652
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “unlike”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).unlikelands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “ultimately” (#2,651), “weekly” (#2,653), “transportation” (#2,650). Among 1,433 “U” headwords, “unlike” is #2,652. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around unlike (IPA /ʌnˈlaɪk/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #2,652 among 1,433 “U” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for unlike, with forms such as "nulike", "ulnike", and "unilke". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "unwise", "unlikely", "unite", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English unlic, unlich, from Old English unlīċ, unġelīċ (“unlike, different, dissimilar, diverse”), from Proto-Germanic *ungalīkaz. By surface analysis, un- + like. Cognate with Dutch ongelijk, German ungleich, Old Norse úlíkr (see there for Nort… The correct English form is unlike, spelled U-N-L-I-K-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Not like; dissimilar (to); having no resemblance; unalike.
  2. 2
    Unequal.
  3. 3
    Not likely; improbable; unlikely.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The brothers are quite unlike each other.
  2. It may be conjectured with some confidence that it is very unlike what is called the Wild and sometimes the Woolly West, which I did not see.

Etymology

From Middle English unlic, unlich, from Old English unlīċ, unġelīċ (“unlike, different, dissimilar, diverse”), from Proto-Germanic *ungalīkaz. By surface analysis, un- + like. Cognate with Dutch ongelijk, German ungleich, Old Norse úlíkr (see there for North Germanic descendants).

This word in other languages

diferente(Español)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • nulike
  • ulnike
  • unilke
  • unliek
  • unlikke
  • unlkie
  • unllike
  • unnlike

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of unlike - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

nulike2ulnike2unilke2unliek2unlikke1unlkie2unllike1unnlike1
Edit distance from "unlike"

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 "unlike"?
"unlike" is spelled U-N-L-I-K-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ʌnˈlaɪk/.
What does "unlike" mean?
As an adjective, "unlike" means: Not like; dissimilar (to); having no resemblance; unalike.
What words are commonly confused with "unlike"?
"unlike" is commonly confused with "unwise", "unlikely", "unite". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "unlike"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "unlike" is /ʌnˈlaɪk/. 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 "unlike"?
From Middle English unlic, unlich, from Old English unlīċ, unġelīċ (“unlike, different, dissimilar, diverse”), from Proto-Germanic *ungalīkaz. By surface analysis, un- + like. Cognate with Dutch ongelijk, German ungleich, Old Norse úlíkr (see ther... 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 "unlike", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

weekly#2,653assets#2,656button#2,658combat#2,660

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

tight8 variantsshift8 variantscrown8 variantsexcuse8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list