Words Starting With UN
100 wordsThe UN- prefix is English's most productive negator, turning thousands of words into their opposites. This collection spans everything from simple reversals like UNDO to elaborate constructions that challenge even experienced word game players.
2-letter words
14-letter words
35-letter words
86-letter words
157-letter words
128-letter words
99-letter words
1110-letter words
1611-letter words
712-letter words
913-letter words
814-letter words
1Pattern Guide
Insights and recommendations for these words.
UN- words offer strategic depth that goes beyond their straightforward meanings. Understanding how this prefix behaves can unlock scoring opportunities across multiple word games.
Vocabulary & Language
Linguistic patterns and usage statistics
UN- functions as both a negating prefix (unhappy, unfair) and a reversing prefix (undo, untie). This dual role explains why 72% of UN- words are adjectives—the prefix naturally attaches to descriptive words to flip their meaning. The reversing function appears mainly with verbs, creating words that describe actions being undone rather than simply negated.
Total Words
4,455
1.5% of dictionary
Avg Length
10.2 letters
3.6 syllables
Top Scrabble
UNCOMMERCIALIZED
34 points
Longest Word
UNCHARACTERISTICALLY
20 letters
Parts of Speech
The average length of 10.2 letters reflects how UN- typically attaches to already substantial root words. With only 14% nouns and 8% verbs compared to 72% adjectives, this pattern shows extreme skew toward descriptive language—far more lopsided than typical English vocabulary.
Middle English dominates this pattern's origins, which makes sense given that UN- descends from Old English 'un-' with the same negating function. Words like UNDERSTAND trace back through Middle English to Old English 'understandan,' showing the prefix's deep Germanic roots. Even UNCLE, which might seem unrelated, arrived through Middle English from Latin 'avunculus'—a reminder that not every UN- word is actually prefixed.
Word Games
High-value words for board games
Short (2-4)
Medium (5-7)
Long (8+)
not having been commercialized
not showing or expressing sympathy
in uncharacteristic manner
Short (2-4)
to a remarkable degree or extent
relatively small fast-moving sloth with two long claws on each front foot
Medium (5-7)
Long (8+)
not having been commercialized
not showing or expressing sympathy
in uncharacteristic manner
UNFAZED scores 20 points in Scrabble but jumps to 22 in Words With Friends, making it slightly more valuable there. The real difference shows in longer plays: UNCOMMERCIALIZED scores 34 in Scrabble versus 41 in WWF, a seven-point swing. UNCO deserves attention as a short, obscure word meaning 'remarkably'—it scores just 6 in Scrabble but 9 in WWF, useful when you need to dump a C.
Wordle
5-letter words for daily puzzles
Good Starters (E, A, R, S, T)
Common Words (likely answers)
UNSET covers three common consonants and includes both U and E, making it a reasonable early guess when you've already eliminated more common starters.
Length Extremes
Longest and shortest valid words
Longest
Shortest
The prefix UN- adds two letters to any root word, pushing the average length up. This explains why short UN- words like UNDO are rare—you need at least a two-letter root to attach the prefix to.
Hidden Gems
Rare but valid words to surprise opponents
to an unacceptable degree
"The percentage of lead in our drinking water is unacceptably high"
impossible to achieve
not decorated with something to increase its beauty or distinction
in an unadvised manner
UNADVISEDLY means 'in an unadvised manner'—acting without proper counsel or consideration. Beyond its useful Scrabble points, it's one of those adverbs that sounds natural in formal writing but rarely appears in casual speech. Worth knowing when you need to extend UNADVISED for extra points.
Popular crossword answers
Words frequently used in crossword puzzles with common clues.