Unplanned

How to spell unplanned

9 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce unplanned

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does unplanned mean?

1. adjectiveNot arranged or organised in advance; happening without prior intention.

Unplanned in a sentence

• The unplanned road closure delayed the entire morning commute.

• Their unplanned pregnancy changed every plan they had for the year.

Where does unplanned come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This word is a transparent English compound built from three native pieces. The prefix 'un-' comes from Old English and Germanic roots and simply means 'not'; it is one of the most productive negating prefixes in the language. The base 'plan' is a much later arrival, borrowed in the 1600s from French 'plan', meaning a 'ground plot' or 'drawing', which itself goes back to Latin 'planum', meaning a flat or level surface. The verb 'to plan' developed in English from that noun, and its past participle 'planned' doubles the final 'n' because the word ends in a single vowel followed by a consonant under stress. Adding the negative prefix gives 'unplanned', meaning something that happened without being arranged in advance. The doubled 'nn' is the spelling trap here, since the silent rhythm of the word tempts writers to leave only one 'n'.

How the word is built

• un- (not)
• plan (a scheme or design)
• -ned (past participle suffix, with doubled n)