unlucky

/ʌnˈlʌki/

//ʌnˈlʌki// adj

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

"unlucky" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“unlucky” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #12,523. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#12,523
frequency rank, English
1,433
“U” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Unfortunate, marked by misfortune.

Corpus desk

Index EN-unlucky · unlucky · English

unlucky · rank #12,523 · 11 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #12,523
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,433
  • PHOTO-FINISH universally

Nearest frequency peer: universally (-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 “unlucky”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “unlucky” 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).

unlucky vs unlock
71% similar

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

Key facts for unlucky
PropertyValue
Headwordunlucky
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ʌnˈlʌki/
Letters7
Frequency rank#12,523
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “unlucky”

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).unluckylands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “universally” (#12,522), “unavailable” (#12,521), “UV” (#12,525). Among 1,433 “U” headwords, “unlucky” is #12,523. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around unlucky (IPA /ʌnˈlʌki/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #12,523 among 1,433 “U” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for unlucky, with forms such as "nulucky", "ulnucky", and "unlcuky". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "unlock", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From un- + lucky. The correct English form is unlucky, spelled U-N-L-U-C-K-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Unfortunate, marked by misfortune.
  2. 2
    Inauspicious.
  3. 3
    Having ill luck.
  4. 4
    Bringing ill luck.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I pray you in your Letters, / When you ſhall theſe vnluckie deeds relate, / Speake of me, as I am. […] / Of one, whoſe ſubdu'd Eyes, / Albeit un-vsed to the melting moode, / Drops teares as faſt as the Arabian Trees / Their Medicinable gumme.
  2. "So he has a chance," said Connie. "Buckley's chance, the way his luck is. Fell out with his girl he did, and lost his job, and now 'e's goin' to lose 'is life. The unluckiest man that ever lived."

Etymology

From un- + lucky.

Synonyms

haplessdown on one's luckfortunelessill-bodingill-fatedill-starredinauspiciousinfelicitousinfortunatelucklessmisadventurousmischancefulmisfortunedpeaksnakebitthwartunchancyunfavourableunfortunateunhappyunpropitiousunluckywanchancy

Antonyms

lucky

This word in other languages

desafortunado(Español)malchanceux(Français)unglücklich(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • nulucky
  • ulnucky
  • unlcuky
  • unllucky
  • unluccky
  • unluckky
  • unluckyy
  • unlucyk
  • unlukcy
  • unnlucky
  • unulcky

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

nulucky2ulnucky2unlcuky2unllucky1unluccky1unluckky1unluckyy1unlucyk2
Edit distance from "unlucky"

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 "unlucky"?
"unlucky" is spelled U-N-L-U-C-K-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ʌnˈlʌki/.
What does "unlucky" mean?
As an adjective, "unlucky" means: Unfortunate, marked by misfortune.
What words are commonly confused with "unlucky"?
"unlucky" is commonly confused with "unlock". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "unlucky"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "unlucky" is /ʌnˈlʌki/. 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 "unlucky"?
From un- + lucky. 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 "unlucky", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

turbine#12,519tracker#12,518winters#12,532Algeria#12,538

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

stacked11 variantsbarbecue11 variantsscaling11 variantscomprise11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list