untoward
/ˌʌn.təˈwɔɹd/adjective
untoward is spelled U-N-T-O-W-A-R-D: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 41,660th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, untoward means “Unfavourable, adverse, or disadvantageous” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in untoward?
| Letters | 8: U-N-T-O-W-A-R-D |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 41,660th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
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); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is untoward?
Untoward appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 41,660th 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 untoward?
- UK /ˌʌn.tʊˈwɔːd/
- US /ˌʌn.təˈwɔɹd/
- US /ˌʌn.tʊˈwɔɹd/
Untoward has 3 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: En-au-untoward.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with untoward?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as untoward from its last stressed vowel (/ɔɹd/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of untoward
- more untoward comparative
- most untoward superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does untoward mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Unfavourable, adverse, or disadvantageous.
- 2
Unruly, troublesome; not easily guided.
- 3
Unseemly, improper.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Untoward in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | désavantageux, nocif, défavorable , irrégulier, ennuyeux , inopportun |
| German | ungünstig, schädlich, unvorteilhaft , problematisch, schwierig, ärgerlich |
| Portuguese | adverso, desvantajoso , inadequado, indecoroso |
| Spanish | desfavorable, adverso, desventajoso , problemático , impropio |
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.
Where does untoward come from?
From un- + toward (“to + -ward”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).