unsettling
/ənˈsɛtəlɪŋ/adjective, noun, verb
unsettling is spelled U-N-S-E-T-T-L-I-N-G: 10 letters and 4 syllables. It appears 1.9 times per million words in written English, the 19,825th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, unsettling means “That makes one troubled or uneasy; disquieting or distressing” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in unsettling?
| Letters | 10: U-N-S-E-T-T-L-I-N-G |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.9 times per million words; the 19,825th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is unsettling?
Unsettling appears 1.9 times per million words in written English, the 19,825th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce unsettling?
- US /ənˈsɛtəlɪŋ/
Unsettling has 4 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-StalJosA-Unsettling.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-unsettling.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of unsettling
- more unsettling comparative
- most unsettling superlative
- unsettlings plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does unsettling mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
That makes one troubled or uneasy; disquieting or distressing.
noun
- 1
The weakening of some previously established system or norm.
verb
- 1
present participle and gerund of unsettle
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Unsettling in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense that makes one troubled or uneasy:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | dérangeant, inquiétant |
| German | beunruhigend |
| Spanish | inquietante, perturbador, atemorizador |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.