Spelling.School · How to spell

How to spell unless

What it means: If not; except.

In a sentence: We can't go to the park unless it stops raining. ▶

The part people get wrong

Watch for double s. Often misspelled as unles or unlesss.

Same family: if, except, otherwise, provided-that. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: “Unless” comes from Middle English phrases like “on lesse (that)” meaning “on a less condition (that).” Over time the phrase fused into the single conjunction “unless,” keeping the idea of an exception or a smaller condition.

Patterns it uses: Double the consonant before a suffix?

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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