unzip

verb

"unzip" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“unzip” is uncommon English (frequency #50,302 among 1,433 “U” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#50,302
frequency rank, English
1,433
“U” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To open something using a zipper.

Corpus desk

Index EN-unzip · unzip · English

unzip · rank #50,302 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #50,302
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,433
  • PHOTO-FINISH unwrapped

Nearest frequency peer: unwrapped (-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 “unzip”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for unzip
PropertyValue
Headwordunzip
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
Letters5
Frequency rank#50,302
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “unzip” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).unzipfalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “unwrapped” (#50,301), “Upham” (#50,303), “Unser” (#50,300). Among 1,433 “U” headwords, “unzip” is #50,302. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

unzip is uncommon English at frequency #50,302 among 1,433 “U” headwords, classed as averb. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for unzip, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From un- + zip. The correct English form is unzip, spelled U-N-Z-I-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    To open something using a zipper.
  2. 2
    To come open by means of a zipper.
  3. 3
    To restore (compressed data) to its original form, from a zip file.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. He turned back and started unzipping a bag.

Etymology

From un- + zip.

Antonyms

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); 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 "unzip"?
"unzip" is spelled U-N-Z-I-P.
What does "unzip" mean?
As a verb, "unzip" means: To open something using a zipper.
What is the origin of the word "unzip"?
From un- + zip. 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 "unzip", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list