unwholesome

/ˌənˈhoʊlsəm/

//ˌənˈhoʊlsəm// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

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

The verdict

“unwholesome” is uncommon English (frequency #80,999 among 1,433 “U” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#80,999
frequency rank, English
1,433
“U” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Not wholesome; unfavorable to health; unhealthful.

Corpus desk

Index EN-unwholesome · unwholesome · English

unwholesome · rank #80,999 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #80,999
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,433
  • PHOTO-FINISH unluckiest

Nearest frequency peer: unluckiest (-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 “unwholesome”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for unwholesome
PropertyValue
Headwordunwholesome
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˌənˈhoʊlsəm/
Letters11
Frequency rank#80,999
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “unwholesome” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).unwholesomefalls in this rarity band:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “unluckiest” (#80,998), “updraft” (#81,000), “unfurnished” (#80,997). Among 1,433 “U” headwords, “unwholesome” is #80,999. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

unwholesome is uncommon English at frequency #80,999 among 1,433 “U” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˌənˈhoʊlsəm/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for unwholesome, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English unholsom; equivalent to un- + wholesome. The correct English form is unwholesome, spelled U-N-W-H-O-L-E-S-O-M-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Not wholesome; unfavorable to health; unhealthful.
  2. 2
    Not sound; tainted; defective.
  3. 3
    Indicating unsound health; characteristic of or suggesting an unsound condition, physical or mental; repulsive; offensive.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. unwholesome air, or food
  2. Caliban: As wicked dewe, as ere my mother bruſh'd / With Rauens feather from vnwholeſome Fen / Drop on you both : A Southweſt blow on yee, / And bliſter you all ore.

Etymology

From Middle English unholsom; equivalent to un- + wholesome.

Antonyms

wholesome

This word in other languages

malsain(Français)ungesund(Deutsch)

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 "unwholesome"?
"unwholesome" is spelled U-N-W-H-O-L-E-S-O-M-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌənˈhoʊlsəm/.
What does "unwholesome" mean?
As an adjective, "unwholesome" means: Not wholesome; unfavorable to health; unhealthful.
How do you pronounce "unwholesome"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "unwholesome" is /ˌənˈhoʊlsəm/. 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 "unwholesome"?
From Middle English unholsom; equivalent to un- + wholesome. 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 "unwholesome", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

unfurnished#80,997sympathiser#80,938summerhouse#80,933subclinical#80,928

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list