unstick

verb

"unstick" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“unstick” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To free from the condition of being stuck.

Corpus desk

Index EN-unstick · unstick · English

unstick · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "U" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for unstick
PropertyValue
Headwordunstick
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “unstick” in English

unstickfalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

unstick is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for unstick, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From un- + stick. The correct English form is unstick, spelled U-N-S-T-I-C-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    To free from the condition of being stuck.
  2. 2
    To become freed from a stuck condition.
  3. 3
    To leave the ground during takeoff.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Add the rice and sauté until the first few grains begin to brown (about 3 minutes). Add peas, stock, and salt. Mix well and be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to unstick any rice.
  2. Starting to panic, I stepped back and put my foot right through the door. Outside, Nelson laughed. The door unstuck. I hopped on one leg as it swung outward, carrying my boot.

Etymology

From un- + stick.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "unstick"?
"unstick" is spelled U-N-S-T-I-C-K.
What does "unstick" mean?
As a verb, "unstick" means: To free from the condition of being stuck.
What is the origin of the word "unstick"?
From un- + stick. 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list