unprecedented

/ʌnˈpɹɛsɪdɛntɪd/

//ʌnˈpɹɛsɪdɛntɪd// adj

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

"unprecedented" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“unprecedented” has 20 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #9,416. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#9,416
frequency rank, English
1,433
“U” headwords
20
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Never before seen, done, or experienced; without precedent.

Corpus desk

Index EN-unprecedented · unprecedented · English

unprecedented · rank #9,416 · 20 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #9,416
  • LEN-MEGA 13 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 20 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,433
  • PHOTO-FINISH twilight

Nearest frequency peer: twilight (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “unprecedented”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “unprecedented” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for unprecedented
PropertyValue
Headwordunprecedented
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ʌnˈpɹɛsɪdɛntɪd/
Letters13
Frequency rank#9,416
Misspellings tracked20
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “unprecedented” sits in English frequency

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).unprecedentedlands 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 “twilight” (#9,415), “vagina” (#9,417), “verses” (#9,418). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 20 spelling variants around unprecedented (IPA /ʌnˈpɹɛsɪdɛntɪd/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #9,416 among 1,433 “U” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Never before seen, done, or experienced; without precedent.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 20 likely wrong-spelling variants for unprecedented, with forms such as "nuprecedented", "unnprecedented", and "unpercedented". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From un- + precedent + -ed. The correct English form is unprecedented, spelled U-N-P-R-E-C-E-D-E-N-T-E-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Never before seen, done, or experienced; without precedent.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. With the descent of the cold war, relations between the two countries (for this is, to all intents and purposes, what they became after the end of the war) were almost completely broken off, with whole families split for the ensuing decades, some for ever. This event and its after-effects, along with the war against the Japanese in the 1940s, was to cast…
  2. On October 6, 1927, Warner Bros. released The Jazz Singer, the first sound-synched feature film, prompting a technological shift of unprecedented speed and unstoppable force. Within two years, nearly every studio release was a talkie.

Etymology

From un- + precedent + -ed.

This word in other languages

inaudito(Español)sans précédent(Français)beispiellos(Deutsch)inaudito(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • nuprecedented
  • unnprecedented
  • unpercedented
  • unpprecedented
  • unprceedented
  • unpreccedented
  • unprecdeented
  • unpreceddented
  • unprecedenetd
  • unprecedennted
  • unprecedentde
  • unprecedentedd
  • unprecedentted
  • unprecedetned
  • unprecedneted
  • unpreceednted
  • unpreecdented
  • unprrecedented
  • unrpecedented
  • upnrecedented

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

nuprecedented2unnprecedented1unpercedented2unpprecedented1unprceedented2unpreccedented1unprecdeented2unpreceddented1
Edit distance from "unprecedented"

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 "unprecedented"?
"unprecedented" is spelled U-N-P-R-E-C-E-D-E-N-T-E-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ʌnˈpɹɛsɪdɛntɪd/.
What does "unprecedented" mean?
As an adjective, "unprecedented" means: Never before seen, done, or experienced; without precedent.
What are common misspellings of "unprecedented"?
Common misspellings include "nuprecedented", "unnprecedented", "unpercedented", "unpprecedented", "unprceedented". The correct spelling is "unprecedented".
How do you pronounce "unprecedented"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "unprecedented" is /ʌnˈpɹɛsɪdɛntɪd/. 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 "unprecedented"?
From un- + precedent + -ed. 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 "unprecedented", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 13 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

strengthening#9,400alternatively#9,435intentionally#9,351assassination#9,283

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (20 here; floor ≥5).

organizational20 variantsjustification20 variantspsychologist20 variantsnorthwestern20 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "unprecedented". Here's where to go from here.

  • 20 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #9,416 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "U" letter cohort. U–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list