untoward
/ˌʌn.tʊˈwɔːd/
"untoward" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“untoward” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #41,929. The variants make it a useful spelling check.
- #41,929
- frequency rank, English
- 1,433
- “U” headwords
- 12
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Unfavourable, adverse, or disadvantageous.
Corpus desk
Index EN-untoward · untoward · English
untoward · rank #41,929 · 12 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-MID #41,929
- LEN-LONG 8 letters
- VOW-3 3 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-MID 12 variants
- BOOK-MID 1,433
- PHOTO-FINISH unsanitary
Nearest frequency peer: unsanitary (-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.
Frequency neighbourhood for “untoward”
Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)
- uninspired
uninspired
58,075 corpus weight
- unrestrained
unrestrained
58,074 corpus weight
- unsanitary
unsanitary
58,073 corpus weight
- untoward
untoward
58,072 corpus weight
- uppermost
uppermost
58,071 corpus weight
- Usman
Usman
58,069 corpus weight
What this shows Bars show where “untoward” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | untoward |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ˌʌn.tʊˈwɔːd/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Frequency rank | #41,929 |
| Misspellings tracked | 12 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “untoward” sits in English frequency
A misspelling magnet
The generator records 12 spelling variants around untoward (IPA /ˌʌn.tʊˈwɔːd/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #41,929 among 1,433 “U” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.
Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for untoward, with forms such as "nutoward", "unntoward", and "unotward". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
Etymologically, the entry records: From un- + toward (“to + -ward”). The correct English form is untoward, spelled U-N-T-O-W-A-R-D.
Definition
- 1Unfavourable, adverse, or disadvantageous.
- 2Unruly, troublesome; not easily guided.
- 3Unseemly, improper.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how untoward appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
But as soon as her son espied her, bowl in hand, he thought that haply something untoward had befallen her, but he would not ask of aught until such time as she had set down the bowl, when she acquainted him with that which had occurred[…]
Honest men for the most part, but men with whom the world had dealt hardly; the failures of all countries, men sobered by toil and saddened by exile, who had been driven to fight for the dominion of an untoward soil, to sow where others should gather, the advance-guard of a mighty civilization to be.
Etymology
From un- + toward (“to + -ward”).
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as:
- nutoward
- unntoward
- unotward
- untoawrd
- untowadr
- untowardd
- untowarrd
- untowrad
- untowward
- unttoward
- untwoard
- utnoward
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of untoward - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.
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 "untoward"?
What does "untoward" mean?
What are common misspellings of "untoward"?
How do you pronounce "untoward"?
What is the origin of the word "untoward"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Similar English words by spelling shape
Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "untoward", not the corpus desk frequency band.
Same letter count
Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).
Similar misspelling depth
Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).
What to do next
You've looked up "untoward". Here's where to go from here.
- 12 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
- Usage frequency rank #41,929 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
- Browse more English words in the "U" letter cohort. U–Z browse
- PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day
PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.