unsavory

Name: unsavory, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ʌnˈseɪv.əɹ.i/

//ʌnˈseɪv.əɹ.i// adj

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed September 3, 2026

The verdict

“unsavory” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #40,945. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#40,945
frequency rank, English: 1,433
“U” headwords: 12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Not savory; without flavor.

Corpus desk

Index EN-unsavory · unsavory · English

unsavory · rank #40,945 · 12 variants · 0 confusables

FREQ-MID #40,945
LEN-LONG 8 letters
VOW-4 4 vowels
CONFUS-0 No pairs
VAR-MID 12 variants
BOOK-MID 1,433
PHOTO-FINISH unionism

Nearest frequency peer: unionism (-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.

unanticipat…

59,059
unblock

59,058
unionism

59,057
unsavory

59,056
unselfish

59,055
unsound

59,054

What this shows “unsavory” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Key facts for unsavory
Property	Value
Headword	unsavory
Language	English
Part of speech	Adjective
IPA	/ʌnˈseɪv.əɹ.i/
Letters	8
Frequency rank	#40,945
Misspellings tracked	12
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “unsavory”

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

#40,945

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “unionism” (#40,944), “unselfish” (#40,946), “unblock” (#40,943). Among 1,433 “U” headwords, “unsavory” is #40,945. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around unsavory (IPA /ʌnˈseɪv.əɹ.i/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #40,945 among 1,433 “U” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for unsavory, with forms such as "nusavory", "unasvory", and "unnsavory". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From un- + savory. The correct English form is unsavory, spelled U-N-S-A-V-O-R-Y.

Definition

1
Not savory; without flavor.
2
Of bad taste; distasteful.
3
Making an activity undesirable.
4
Disreputable, not respectable, of questionable moral character.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

The little Pieces of Beef vvere like Plums in our Hodg-podg. Indeed 'tvvas not fit to be eaten any other vvay; for tho' it did not ſtink, yet it vvas very unſavory and black, vvithout the leaſt ſign of Fat in it: […]
His unsavory reputation as a mobster came back to haunt him when he ran for mayor of New York.

Etymology

From un- + savory.

This word in other languages

desagradable(Español)douteux(Français)anrüchig(Deutsch)desagradável(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

nusavory
unasvory
unnsavory
unsaovry
unsavorry
unsavoryy
unsavoyr
unsavroy
unsavvory
unssavory
unsvaory
usnavory

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

Edit distance from "unsavory"

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 "unsavory"?

"unsavory" is spelled U-N-S-A-V-O-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ʌnˈseɪv.əɹ.i/.

What does "unsavory" mean?

As an adjective, "unsavory" means: Not savory; without flavor.

What are common misspellings of "unsavory"?

Common misspellings include "nusavory", "unasvory", "unnsavory", "unsaovry", "unsavorry". The correct spelling is "unsavory".

How do you pronounce "unsavory"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "unsavory" is /ʌnˈseɪv.əɹ.i/. 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 "unsavory"?

From un- + savory. 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 "unsavory", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

unionism#40,944 unwashed#40,949 Trumbull#40,937 systolic#40,918

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

utterance12 variants absorber12 variants sriracha12 variants schooler12 variants