Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

unwary

/ənwˈɛɹi/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.33 in modern English

Syllables: un-wary
IPA: /ənwˈɛɹi/

12

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

3

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Lacking caution as a result of naïveté or inexperience.

adj

Unprepared; not watchful.

Etymology

From un- + wary. Compare Old English unwær (“unaware, unwary”) and unwærlīċ (“unwary, heedless”).

Inflected Forms

unwarier (comparative) unwariest (superlative)

Derived Forms

unwariness

Frequently Paired Words

unwarily

Synonyms

careless

Rhymes With

very mary harry marry gary scary larry jerry vary terry perry cherry

Questions

How do you pronounce unwary?: The recorded pronunciation is /ənwˈɛɹi/.
What does unwary mean?: Lacking caution as a result of naïveté or inexperience.
Where does unwary come from?: From un- + wary. Compare Old English unwær (“unaware, unwary”) and unwærlīċ (“unwary, heedless”).

How to pronounce unwary

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “unwary”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ənwˈɛɹi/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “unwary”.
Repeat and practice — Say “unwary” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.