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” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #12,883 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#12,883
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A state of trouble, confusion and turbulence, especially in a political context; a time of riots, demonstrations and protests.

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)

Where “unrest” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). unrest lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for unrest is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ʌnˈɹɛst/. Corpus data places it at rank #12,883 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

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.

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.

Using “unrest”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is U-N-R-E-S-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ʌnˈɹɛst/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “unseat” - see the side-by-side comparison. unrest vs unseat
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list