unlucky

\ʌnˈlʌkɪ\

/\ʌnˈlʌkɪ\/ adj

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency French
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Malheureux, fâcheux, malencontreux, malchanceux, qui porte malheur.

Corpus desk

Index FR-unlucky · unlucky · French

unlucky · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "U" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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 unlucky
PropertyValue
Headwordunlucky
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdjective
IPA\ʌnˈlʌkɪ\
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Longue queue: rang de « unlucky » en français

unluckyn'entre pas dans le top 100.000 du français: zone de termes techniques, archaïques ou rares.

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

Rare enough to double-check

unlucky is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed \ʌnˈlʌkɪ\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Malheureux, fâcheux, malencontreux, malchanceux, qui porte malheur.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for unlucky, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct French form is unlucky, spelled U-N-L-U-C-K-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Malheureux, fâcheux, malencontreux, malchanceux, qui porte malheur.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Now, Tabaqui knew as well as anyone else that there is nothing so unlucky as to compliment children to their faces. (The Jungle Book - Rudyard Kipling)
  2. "[…] It is very unlucky; but as I have actually paid the visit, we cannot escape the acquaintance now."

Synonyms

unfortunate

Antonyms

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 "unlucky"?
"unlucky" is spelled U-N-L-U-C-K-Y. The IPA pronunciation is \ʌnˈlʌkɪ\.
What does "unlucky" mean?
As an adjective, "unlucky" means: Malheureux, fâcheux, malencontreux, malchanceux, qui porte malheur.
How do you pronounce "unlucky"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "unlucky" is \ʌnˈlʌkɪ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "unlucky" come from?
"unlucky" is a French word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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