unsightly

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

/ʌnˈsaɪtli/

//ʌnˈsaɪtli// adj

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

The verdict

“unsightly” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #37,754. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#37,754
frequency rank, English: 1,433
“U” headwords: 15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Displeasing to the eye.

Corpus desk

Index EN-unsightly · unsightly · English

unsightly · rank #37,754 · 15 variants · 0 confusables

FREQ-MID #37,754
LEN-LONG 9 letters
VOW-3 3 vowels
CONFUS-0 No pairs
VAR-HIGH 15 variants
BOOK-MID 1,433
PHOTO-FINISH unmasked

Nearest frequency peer: unmasked (-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.

unfavourable

62,250
unloved

62,249
unmasked

62,248
unsightly

62,247
uptick

62,246
urchin

62,245

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

Key facts for unsightly
Property	Value
Headword	unsightly
Language	English
Part of speech	Adjective
IPA	/ʌnˈsaɪtli/
Letters	9
Frequency rank	#37,754
Misspellings tracked	15
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “unsightly”

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).unsightlylands here:

#37,754

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

← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “unmasked” (#37,753), “uptick” (#37,755), “unloved” (#37,752). Among 1,433 “U” headwords, “unsightly” is #37,754. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around unsightly (IPA /ʌnˈsaɪtli/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #37,754 among 1,433 “U” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Displeasing to the eye.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for unsightly, with forms such as "nusightly", "unisghtly", and "unnsightly". 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 entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From un- + sightly. The correct English form is unsightly, spelled U-N-S-I-G-H-T-L-Y.

Definition

1
Displeasing to the eye.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

For example, by changing the use of existing rooms, removing or replacing unsightly features, clearing obstacles to easy circulation, rearranging direction signs and generally introducing as much order as possible, most outdated station buildings can be made reasonably efficient and attractive.
“She had grown used to the quick speech of these people, but she wished he would not lick his lips that way. It did not make him any harder to understand, but it was unsightly."

Etymology

From un- + sightly.

Synonyms

disgusting ugly

Antonyms

beautiful sightly

This word in other languages

antiestético(Español)disgracieux(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

nusightly
unisghtly
unnsightly
unsgihtly
unsigghtly
unsighhtly
unsighlty
unsightlly
unsightlyy
unsighttly
unsightyl
unsigthly
unsihgtly
unssightly
usnightly

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of unsightly - 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 "unsightly"

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 "unsightly"?

"unsightly" is spelled U-N-S-I-G-H-T-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ʌnˈsaɪtli/.

What does "unsightly" mean?

As an adjective, "unsightly" means: Displeasing to the eye.

What are common misspellings of "unsightly"?

Common misspellings include "nusightly", "unisghtly", "unnsightly", "unsgihtly", "unsigghtly". The correct spelling is "unsightly".

How do you pronounce "unsightly"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "unsightly" is /ʌnˈsaɪtli/. 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 "unsightly"?

From un- + sightly. 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 "unsightly", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Villanova#37,759 unaltered#37,747 wherefore#37,767 Tiananmen#37,735

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

surmounted15 variants appreciable15 variants skyrocket15 variants clinching15 variants