unscrupulous

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

/ˌʌnˈskɹuːpjʊləs/

//ˌʌnˈskɹuːpjʊləs// adj

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

The verdict

“unscrupulous” has 18 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #26,648. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#26,648
frequency rank, English: 1,433
“U” headwords: 18
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Without scruples; immoral.

Corpus desk

Index EN-unscrupulous · unscrupulous · English

unscrupulous · rank #26,648 · 18 variants · 0 confusables

FREQ-MID #26,648
LEN-MEGA 12 letters
VOW-5 5 vowels
CONFUS-0 No pairs
VAR-HIGH 18 variants
BOOK-MID 1,433
PHOTO-FINISH unregulated

Nearest frequency peer: unregulated (-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.

unholy

73,356
unify

73,355
unregulated

73,354
unscrupulous

73,353
unwittingly

73,352
upland

73,351

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

Key facts for unscrupulous
Property	Value
Headword	unscrupulous
Language	English
Part of speech	Adjective
IPA	/ˌʌnˈskɹuːpjʊləs/
Letters	12
Frequency rank	#26,648
Misspellings tracked	18
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “unscrupulous”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).unscrupulouslands here:

#26,648

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

← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “unregulated” (#26,647), “unwittingly” (#26,649), “unify” (#26,646). Among 1,433 “U” headwords, “unscrupulous” is #26,648. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 18 spelling variants around unscrupulous (IPA /ˌʌnˈskɹuːpjʊləs/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #26,648 among 1,433 “U” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 18 likely wrong-spelling variants for unscrupulous, with forms such as "nuscrupulous", "uncsrupulous", and "unnscrupulous". 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, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From un- + scrupulous. The correct English form is unscrupulous, spelled U-N-S-C-R-U-P-U-L-O-U-S.

Definition

1
Without scruples; immoral.
2
Contemptuous of what is right or honorable.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

The real difficulty is with the vast wealth and power in the hands of the few and the unscrupulous who represent or control capital.
Nazism, they wrote, had turned German youth into godless, shameless, unscrupulous murderers.

Etymology

From un- + scrupulous.

Antonyms

scrupulous ethical upstanding

This word in other languages

inscrupuleux(Français)skrupellos(Deutsch)inescrupuloso(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

nuscrupulous
uncsrupulous
unnscrupulous
unsccrupulous
unscrpuulous
unscrrupulous
unscrupluous
unscruppulous
unscrupullous
unscrupulosu
unscrupulouss
unscrupuluos
unscrupuolus
unscruuplous
unscurpulous
unsrcupulous
unsscrupulous
usncrupulous

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of unscrupulous - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

Edit distance from "unscrupulous"

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 "unscrupulous"?

"unscrupulous" is spelled U-N-S-C-R-U-P-U-L-O-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌʌnˈskɹuːpjʊləs/.

What does "unscrupulous" mean?

As an adjective, "unscrupulous" means: Without scruples; immoral.

What are common misspellings of "unscrupulous"?

Common misspellings include "nuscrupulous", "uncsrupulous", "unnscrupulous", "unsccrupulous", "unscrpuulous". The correct spelling is "unscrupulous".

How do you pronounce "unscrupulous"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "unscrupulous" is /ˌʌnˈskɹuːpjʊləs/. 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 "unscrupulous"?

From un- + scrupulous. 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 "unscrupulous", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 12 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

deliberation#26,747 pediatrician#26,547 excruciating#26,782 foundational#26,799

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (18 here; floor ≥5).

transponder18 variants blindfolded18 variants opportunistic18 variants repatriation18 variants