unutterable

/(ˌ)ʌnˈʌt(ə)ɹəbl̩/

//(ˌ)ʌnˈʌt(ə)ɹəbl̩// adj

"unutterable" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency English
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Not utterable; incapable of being physically spoken or voiced; unpronounceable.

Corpus desk

Index EN-unutterable · unutterable · English

unutterable · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 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 unutterable
PropertyValue
Headwordunutterable
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/(ˌ)ʌnˈʌt(ə)ɹəbl̩/
Letters11
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “unutterable” in English

unutterablesits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

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

Rare enough to double-check

unutterable is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed /(ˌ)ʌnˈʌt(ə)ɹəbl̩/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

unutterable has no tracked misspelling variants, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. Our dataset records no confusable match here, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From un- (prefix meaning ‘not’) + utterable. The correct English form is unutterable, spelled U-N-U-T-T-E-R-A-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Not utterable; incapable of being physically spoken or voiced; unpronounceable.
  2. 2
    Incapable of being articulated or expressed; indescribable, inexpressible.
  3. 3
    Not allowed to be spoken; taboo, unspeakable.
  4. 4
    Extremely bad or objectionable; unspeakable.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. unutterable anguish
  2. [H]e is Sir / The moſt vnutterable covvard, that ere nature / Bleſt vvith hard ſhoulders, vvhich vvere only giuen him, / To the ruine of baſtinados.

Etymology

From un- (prefix meaning ‘not’) + utterable.

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 "unutterable"?
"unutterable" is spelled U-N-U-T-T-E-R-A-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /(ˌ)ʌnˈʌt(ə)ɹəbl̩/.
What does "unutterable" mean?
As an adjective, "unutterable" means: Not utterable; incapable of being physically spoken or voiced; unpronounceable.
How do you pronounce "unutterable"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "unutterable" is /(ˌ)ʌnˈʌt(ə)ɹəbl̩/. 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 "unutterable"?
From un- (prefix meaning ‘not’) + utterable. 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