unravel
/(ˌ)ʌnˈɹævl̩/
"unravel" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“unravel” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #22,849 in English word frequency and used as a verb.
- #22,849
- frequency rank, English
- 7
- letters
- 10
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To cause (something) to no longer be ravelled or tangled; to disentangle, to untangle.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | unravel |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /(ˌ)ʌnˈɹævl̩/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #22,849 |
| Misspellings tracked | 10 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “unravel” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for unravel is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /(ˌ)ʌnˈɹævl̩/. Corpus data places it at rank #22,849 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for unravel, with forms such as "nuravel", "unarvel", and "unnravel". 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. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: PIE word *h₂énti From un- (suffix denoting the inverse of the specified action) + ravel. cognates * Dutch ontrafelen (“to unravel”) The correct English form is unravel, spelled U-N-R-A-V-E-L.
Definition
- 1To cause (something) to no longer be ravelled or tangled; to disentangle, to untangle.
- 2To separate the threads of (something knitted or woven, such as clothing or fabric).
- 3To separate the connected or united parts of (something); to throw (something) into disorder; to confound, to confuse, to disintegrate.
- 4To clear (something) from complication or difficulty; to investigate and solve (a mystery, a problem, etc.); to disentangle, to unfold, to work out.
- 5To reverse or undo (something); to annul, to negate.
- 6To become no longer ravelled or tangled.
- 7Of threads: to become separated from something knitted or woven, such as clothing or fabric; also, of something knitted or woven: to separate into threads; to come apart.
- 8Of a thing: to have its connected or united parts separated; to be thrown into disorder; to become confused or undone; to collapse.
Etymology
PIE word *h₂énti From un- (suffix denoting the inverse of the specified action) + ravel. cognates * Dutch ontrafelen (“to unravel”)
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: nuravel,unarvel,unnravel,unraevl,unravell,unravle,unravvel,unrravel,unrvael,urnavel
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of unravel - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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
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Using “unravel”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is U-N-R-A-V-E-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /(ˌ)ʌnˈɹævl̩/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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.