Unequal

How to spell unequal

7 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce unequal

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does unequal mean?

1. adjectiveNot the same in size, amount, value, or status; lacking fairness or balance.

Unequal in a sentence

• The two slices were noticeably unequal in size.

• Critics argued that the pay structure was deeply unequal across departments.

Where does unequal come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word joins the native English prefix un-, meaning 'not', to 'equal', which English borrowed in the late 1300s. 'Equal' descends from the Latin aequalis, meaning 'even' or 'uniform', which was built on aequus, the adjective for 'level, flat, or fair'. The same Latin root gives us a whole family of relatives, including 'equator', 'equity', and 'adequate'. 'Unequal' itself appears in English from the late 1500s, combining the home-grown negative prefix with the Latin-derived stem, a very common pattern in English word-building. The spelling trap is mild but real: the 'qu' represents a 'kw' sound, and the unstressed final syllable can tempt writers toward an 'el' or 'le' ending rather than the correct '-al'.

How the word is built

• un- (not)
• equal (from Latin aequalis: even, level)