unlikely

/ʌnˈlaɪkli/

//ʌnˈlaɪkli// adj

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

"unlikely" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“unlikely” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #4,279. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#4,279
frequency rank, English
1,433
“U” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Not likely; improbable; not to be reasonably expected.

Corpus desk

Index EN-unlikely · unlikely · English

unlikely · rank #4,279 · 12 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #4,279
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,433
  • PHOTO-FINISH triple

Nearest frequency peer: triple (-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 “unlikely”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “unlikely” 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).

unlikely vs untimely
75% similar
unlikely vs unlike
75% similar

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

Key facts for unlikely
PropertyValue
Headwordunlikely
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ʌnˈlaɪkli/
Letters8
Frequency rank#4,279
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “unlikely”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).unlikelylands 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 “triple” (#4,278), “treaty” (#4,277), “Vietnam” (#4,281). Among 1,433 “U” headwords, “unlikely” is #4,279. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around unlikely (IPA /ʌnˈlaɪkli/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #4,279 among 1,433 “U” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for unlikely, with forms such as "nulikely", "ulnikely", and "unilkely". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "untimely", "unlike", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English unlykely, unlikly, unlykly, unlicli, equivalent to un- + likely. The correct English form is unlikely, spelled U-N-L-I-K-E-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Not likely; improbable; not to be reasonably expected.
  2. 2
    Not holding out a prospect of success; likely to fail; unpromising.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. It is pretty unlikely that you'll win, but I will pray that at least you do well.
  2. In the highly unlikely event of landing in water, lifejackets are stored under the seat.

Etymology

From Middle English unlykely, unlikly, unlykly, unlicli, equivalent to un- + likely.

This word in other languages

improbable(Español)improbable(Français)unwahrscheinlich(Deutsch)improvável(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • nulikely
  • ulnikely
  • unilkely
  • unliekly
  • unlikelly
  • unlikelyy
  • unlikeyl
  • unlikkely
  • unlikley
  • unlkiely
  • unllikely
  • unnlikely

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

nulikely2ulnikely2unilkely2unliekly2unlikelly1unlikelyy1unlikeyl2unlikkely1
Edit distance from "unlikely"

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 "unlikely"?
"unlikely" is spelled U-N-L-I-K-E-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ʌnˈlaɪkli/.
What does "unlikely" mean?
As an adjective, "unlikely" means: Not likely; improbable; not to be reasonably expected.
What words are commonly confused with "unlikely"?
"unlikely" is commonly confused with "untimely", "unlike". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "unlikely"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "unlikely" is /ʌnˈlaɪkli/. 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 "unlikely"?
From Middle English unlykely, unlikly, unlykly, unlicli, equivalent to un- + likely. 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 "unlikely", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

terminal#4,275calendar#4,288darkness#4,294relation#4,262

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

hardware12 variantsliterary12 variantsJonathan12 variantsHamilton12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list