unsparing

adj

"unsparing" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“unsparing” is uncommon English (frequency #87,948 among 1,433 “U” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#87,948
frequency rank, English
1,433
“U” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Without sparing; liberal; profuse; thorough.

Corpus desk

Index EN-unsparing · unsparing · English

unsparing · rank #87,948 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #87,948
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,433
  • PHOTO-FINISH unsentimental

Nearest frequency peer: unsentimental (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “unsparing”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “unsparing” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for unsparing
PropertyValue
Headwordunsparing
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
Letters9
Frequency rank#87,948
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “unsparing” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).unsparingfalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “unsentimental” (#87,947), “unsupportive” (#87,949), “unordered” (#87,946). Among 1,433 “U” headwords, “unsparing” is #87,948. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

unsparing is uncommon English at frequency #87,948 among 1,433 “U” headwords, classed as anadjective. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for unsparing, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From un- + sparing. The correct English form is unsparing, spelled U-N-S-P-A-R-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    Without sparing; liberal; profuse; thorough.
  2. 2
    Pulling no punches; brutal as opposed to politic.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Only when one has seen a Control Office at first-hand does one realise the vast amount of unsparing but largely unsung work that is behind the eventual publication, perhaps, of a paragraph in this journal's "Motive Power Miscellany" recording the appearance, within hours of the complete blockage of a main line, of many of its trains, passenger and freight…
  2. [Giovanni's Room] is clearly written out of interior torment, and is an unsparing account of a man fighting against himself. It is certainly not a pleasant book, and David, the narrator, is not "nice" […] but even in its negative ending, it makes a strong statement in favor of self knowledge and accepting one's sexuality.

Etymology

From un- + sparing.

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 "unsparing"?
"unsparing" is spelled U-N-S-P-A-R-I-N-G.
What does "unsparing" mean?
As an adjective, "unsparing" means: Without sparing; liberal; profuse; thorough.
What is the origin of the word "unsparing"?
From un- + sparing. 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 "unsparing", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list