unrest

/ʌnˈɹɛst/

//ʌnˈɹɛst// noun

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

"unrest" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“unrest” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #12,883. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#12,883
frequency rank, English
1,433
“U” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A state of trouble, confusion and turbulence, especially in a political context; a time of riots, demonstrations and protests.

Corpus desk

Index EN-unrest · unrest · English

unrest · rank #12,883 · 9 variants · 7 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #12,883
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 7 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,433
  • PHOTO-FINISH unidentified

Nearest frequency peer: unidentified (-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 “unrest”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “unrest” 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).

unrest vs unseat
67% similar
unrest vs unmet
67% similar
unrest vs unless
67% similar

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

Key facts for unrest
PropertyValue
Headwordunrest
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ʌnˈɹɛst/
Letters6
Frequency rank#12,883
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “unrest”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).unrestlands 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 “unidentified” (#12,882), “unseen” (#12,884), “underrated” (#12,881). Among 1,433 “U” headwords, “unrest” is #12,883. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around unrest (IPA /ʌnˈɹɛst/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #12,883 among 1,433 “U” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for unrest, with forms such as "nurest", "unerst", and "unnrest". 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 7 confusable-pair relationships, "unseat", "unmet", "unless", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English unreste, equivalent to un- + rest. Cognate with West Frisian ûnrêst (“unrest”), Dutch onrust (“unrest”), German Low German Unrüst (“unrest”). Compare also Saterland Frisian Uunraue (“unrest”), German Unruhe (“unrest”), Danish uro (“unres… The correct English form is unrest, spelled U-N-R-E-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A state of trouble, confusion and turbulence, especially in a political context; a time of riots, demonstrations and protests.
  2. 2
    Something that troubles or confuses; that which causes unrest.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. What words are these have fall’n from me? ⁠Can calm despair and wild unrest ⁠Be tenants of a single breast, Or sorrow such a changeling be?
  2. Few expect the unrest to stop anytime soon. The government may hope to outflank the protest movement by painting them as unwilling to accept compromise, but even some of Lam’s allies have publicly said that the withdrawal was too little, too late.

Etymology

From Middle English unreste, equivalent to un- + rest. Cognate with West Frisian ûnrêst (“unrest”), Dutch onrust (“unrest”), German Low German Unrüst (“unrest”). Compare also Saterland Frisian Uunraue (“unrest”), German Unruhe (“unrest”), Danish uro (“unrest”), Swedish oro (“unrest”), Icelandic órói (“unrest”). Compare also Old English orrest (“battle”), Old Norse orrosta, orresta (“battle”).

This word in other languages

inquietud(Español)agitation(Français)Unruhen(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • nurest
  • unerst
  • unnrest
  • unresst
  • unrestt
  • unrets
  • unrrest
  • unrset
  • urnest

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of unrest - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

nurest2unerst2unnrest1unresst1unrestt1unrets2unrrest1unrset2
Edit distance from "unrest"

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 "unrest"?
"unrest" is spelled U-N-R-E-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ʌnˈɹɛst/.
What does "unrest" mean?
As a noun, "unrest" means: A state of trouble, confusion and turbulence, especially in a political context; a time of riots, demonstrations and protests.
What words are commonly confused with "unrest"?
"unrest" is commonly confused with "unseat", "unmet", "unless". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "unrest"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "unrest" is /ʌnˈɹɛst/. 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 "unrest"?
From Middle English unreste, equivalent to un- + rest. Cognate with West Frisian ûnrêst (“unrest”), Dutch onrust (“unrest”), German Low German Unrüst (“unrest”). Compare also Saterland Frisian Uunraue (“unrest”), German Unruhe (“unrest”), Danish u... 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 "unrest", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

unseen#12,884utmost#12,885waiter#12,886tailor#12,873

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

youths9 variantsstorey9 variantsallergy9 variantsscarce9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list