uhn-suhk-SES-fuhl
/ˌʌnsəˈksɛsfəl/
unsuccessful is pronounced uhn-suhk-SES-fuhl (/ˌʌnsəˈksɛsfəl/). Unsuccessful is an adjective describing something that fails to achieve its intended result. It denotes outcomes or efforts that do not meet goals, often implying disappointment or lack of effectiveness. In usage, it qualifiers actions, ventures, or attempts that did not succeed, distinguishing them from successful efforts and highlighting the need for revision or persistence.
Unsuccessful is an adjective describing something that fails to achieve its intended result. It denotes outcomes or efforts that do not meet goals, often implying disappointment or lack of effectiveness. In usage, it qualifiers actions, ventures, or attempts that did not succeed, distinguishing them from successful efforts and highlighting the need for revision or persistence.
"Her attempt to climb the mountain was unsuccessful due to poor weather."
"The campaign was ultimately unsuccessful in convincing voters."
"Despite months of training, his first marathon was unsuccessful."
Break it into four moras: un-suc-cess-ful. IPA for US is ʌnˈsɛksfl̩ (or ˌʌnˈsɛksfl̩ in many dialects when the second syllable carries the main stress). Stress falls on the second syllable: suc. The sequence includes a light schwa-like vowel in ‘ful’ unless you’re in a very careful register, where ful is often reduced to -fl̩ with a syllabic l. Keep the /s/ + /k/ cluster tight: /s/, then /k/ after the soft palate closure for suc-cess. You’ll hear the length and energy on the stressed syllable.
Two frequent errors: (1) misplacing stress, saying un-SUC-cessful with incorrect focus on the first or third syllable; (2) attenuating the /ks/ cluster by turning it into separate /k/ and /s/ inconsistently, or letting the /l/ bleed before the /f/ (saying -cess-ful with an audible break). Correction: emphasize the -s- cluster as /sɛks/ with a clean /k/ followed by /s/. Keep the /l/ light and the /f/ clearly released, not swallowed. Practice with minimal pairs to fix the rhythm and avoid over- or under-aspiration on the /t/ or /d/ that sometimes sneaks in the mid-segment when fast.
In US English you’ll typically hear /ʌnˈsɛksfl̩/, with a strong final syllable and a syllabic l in ful. UK speakers usually maintain similar vowel qualities but may show a slightly more clipped /ɡ/ transition and less vowel reduction in unstressed syllables; /ɜː/ might appear in some weakly stressed forms in connected speech. Australian English tends to be flatter with less vowel height in the stressed syllable and a non- rhotic r-influence only if present in linked speech; the final syllable often ends with a lighter /l/ or even a dark l that blends. Overall, the rhythm remains Stress on suc; some vowel qualities shift subtly: US duck-like /ʌ/ in un, UK/AU may sound closer to /ə/ or /ʌ/ depending on speaker.
Two main challenges: the multi-syllabic pattern and the /ks/ consonant cluster in the middle. Saying /ˈsɛks/ requires precise timing: the /ks/ blends quickly from /k/ to /s/ without a heavy pause. The second challenge is retaining three distinct syllables while keeping natural rhythm in sentence speech. Focus on the onset of the stressed syllable /s/ in suc, and ensure the final /l/ of ful is not swallowed. Practicing with slow, deliberate enunciation before speeding up helps you maintain accuracy under pressure.
Note that the stress centers on the second syllable, which can be written as un-SUC-cess-ful. A unique aspect is keeping the 'suc' syllable compact: /sɛks/ not /sɛk.sɪ/ or /sʌk/. Your mouth should transition quickly from the alveolar /n/ in un to the alveolar /s/ of suc, then into the /ks/ blend and final /fəl/ with a light, almost whispered /l/.
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Unsuccessful derives from the prefix un- meaning ‘not’ or ‘opposite of’ attached to successful. The root successful comes from the Middle French heureux meaning ‘happy’ or ‘fortunate’ via Latin felicitas, combined with the suffix -ful indicating 'full of' or 'characterized by.' The negative prefix un- entered English in the 14th century and began forming words that express negation of the adjective. Successful itself entered English by the late 14th century, evolving from Old French soufle (from Latin succurrere) through the semantic extension of achieving intended results. The sense of “not achieving a goal” solidified over time as compound words like unsuccessful became common in business, sports, and general discourse. First known uses appear in legal and scholastic texts where outcomes were assessed, and later in journalism and everyday speech as discussions of campaigns, experiments, and endeavors. Over centuries, unsuccessful has maintained a stable semantic field of unmet aims, with nuances ranging from minor failure to complete collapse of an effort depending on context. In modern usage, unsuccessful is a neutral-to-negative descriptor, often inviting reassessment or persistence rather than final judgment.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "unsuccessful" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "unsuccessful"
-ful sounds
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