# unlikely

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ʌnˈlaɪkli/ · frequency rank #4,279

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

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

## Easily confused with
- **untimely** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/unlikely-vs-untimely)
- **unlike** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/unlike-vs-unlikely)

## Common misspellings (12)
`nulikely`, `ulnikely`, `unilkely`, `unliekly`, `unlikelly`, `unlikelyy`, `unlikeyl`, `unlikkely`, `unlikley`, `unlkiely`, `unllikely`, `unnlikely`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/unlikely