uhn-LUHK-ee
/əˈnlʌki/
unlucky is pronounced uhn-LUHK-ee (/əˈnlʌki/). Unlucky describes a situation or person experiencing misfortune or bad luck more frequently than one would expect. It conveys a sense of persistent or notable ill fortune, often with a mildly negative or resigned tone. The term is common in everyday speech and writing to characterize events that seem fated to fail or disappoint.
Unlucky describes a situation or person experiencing misfortune or bad luck more frequently than one would expect. It conveys a sense of persistent or notable ill fortune, often with a mildly negative or resigned tone. The term is common in everyday speech and writing to characterize events that seem fated to fail or disappoint.
"She felt unlucky after losing her wallet on the same day she bought a new umbrella."
"The team was unlucky to concede a late goal, despite playing well."
"He considered himself unlucky when the rain started just as the ceremony began."
Pronounce as /ʌnˈlʌk.i/. Start with the short “u” sound /ʌ/ like in 'cup', then the unstressed /n/ followed by the stressed syllable /ˈlʌk/ where the vowel is the same /ʌ/ as in 'luck', and finish with a crisp /i/ as in 'see'. Place the primary stress on the second syllable: un-LUCK-y. Practise slowly, then speed up once you’re comfortable. Listening to the rhythm in connected speech helps: /ʌnˈlʌk.i/. Audio references: Cambridge, Oxford, and Forvo entries for 'unlucky'.
Common mistakes include: 1) Misplacing stress by over-emphasizing the first syllable; ensure the stress falls on the second syllable /ˈlʌk/. 2) Mispronouncing /ʌ/ in the second syllable as a full /ɜ/-like vowel; keep the lax /ʌ/ as in 'luck'. 3) Slurring the final /i/ into /ɪ/ or /iː/; aim for a clean, short /i/ sound. Practice with minimal pairs and mirror-checks to confirm mouth positions.
In US, the /ʌ/ in the first syllable and the second syllable /ˈlʌk/ are similar to the UK vowels, with slight rhoticity influence when linking to vowels next word. In UK, the /ʌ/ remains centralized; non-rhotic linking may soften the /r/ influence but not present here. In AU, vowel quality tends toward a broader /ə/ in unstressed positions and the /i/ at the end tends to be shorter. Across all, the primary stress remains on the second syllable, but vowel color and brevity vary with accent.
The difficulty comes from three features: the short, lax /ʌ/ in both the first and stressed syllables can be tricky for speakers used to longer vowels in other contexts; the /l/ and /ʌ/ sequence in rapid speech can blur; and the final /i/ requires precise, quick closure to avoid sounding like /ɪ/ or /iː/. Additionally, maintaining clear stress on the second syllable while keeping the final /i/ distinct demands careful mouth positioning and timing, especially in connected speech.
No; all letters in 'unlucky' are pronounced in standard American, British, and Australian varieties. You should articulate /ʌ n l ʌ k i/ with full consonant clarity: the final 'y' corresponds to /i/. In very quick speech, the final /i/ can be slightly reduced, but it remains audible in careful pronunciation.
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Unlucky is formed from the prefix un- meaning 'not' or 'opposite of' combined with lucky, which derives from the Old English lician or gelucian, tracing to the Proto-Germanic word gelukam (happiness, fortune). The sense of fortune or fate evolves through Old English and Middle English, where lucky signified fortunate or auspicious events. By the 16th-17th centuries, unlucky began appearing to describe adverse outcomes or misfortune rather than simply the absence of luck. The word integrates standard English compounding patterns: un- (opposite) + lucky (fortunate). The diachronic shift reflects cultural notions of luck as a controllable or random force; “unlucky” labels episodes where fortune seems to evade one’s efforts, or where external factors overshadow plans. First known uses appear in print by the early modern period as photographers and poets described unlucky prohibitions and misfortunes in secular and moral narratives. In contemporary usage, unlucky commonly collocates with verbs like feel, get, and be, and with contexts of weather, outcomes, and timing to indicate frequency or notable episodes of adverse luck.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "unlucky" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "unlucky"
-nky sounds
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