How to spell unknown

hear itun·known/ən'noʊn/adjectiveSilent and tricky

What it means: Not familiar, explored, or identified.

In a sentence: The island was full of unknown creatures.

The part people get wrong

Often misspelled as unkown or unknwon.

Same family: known, knowing, knowledge, unknownly, unknowable. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: “Unknown” is formed from the Old English verb “know” plus the negative prefix “un-,” literally meaning “not known.” It has been used for centuries to describe mysterious people, places, and facts, especially in science and exploration.

Patterns it uses: Prefixes keep every letter

Try spelling it

You will hear the word and a sentence. Type it and press Enter. Then four more words from the same level, so you know where you stand.

Words like this

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