What does unknown mean?
Word: Unknown
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Unknown means not known, or not familiar to people.
Synonyms: unfamiliar, mysterious, strange
Antonyms: known, familiar
How do you spell unknown?
Syllables: un - known
Tricky part: The k of know is silent but must be written: unown leaves it out.
Watch out for: unown, unnown, unknwon
Memory tip: Picture the k at the front of know with a finger to its lips, saying shh: it is there, but it keeps quiet.
Unknown in a sentence
Example 1: An unknown number called Mum three times this morning.
Example 2: The sailors landed on an unknown island.
Example 3: Nobody knows who painted this old picture; the artist is unknown.
Fun Fact
The k in know was once spoken in English. It fell silent around the 1600s, but the spelling never changed.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
The scientists found an unkown kind of frog in the forests of Borneo.
a) unkown
b) forests
c) scientists
d) frog
Show answer
a) unkown. Know has both a k and an n before the ow.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word:
unknown
a) famous
b) hidden
c) lonely
d) secret
Show answer
a) famous. A famous person is known to many people, which is the opposite of unknown.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
wknnuon
a) unknown
b) undone
c) unwound
d) known
Show answer
a) unknown. Unwound and undone both need a d, and known is two letters short; only unknown uses all seven letters.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the correctly spelt word:
a) mistery
b) unfamilier
c) unknown
d) strainge
Show answer
c) unknown. Mystery has a y after the m, strange has no i, and unfamiliar ends in iar.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. An unknown writer is one who ____.
a) writes only for children
b) has won a big prize
c) few readers have heard of
d) has written many books
Show answer
c) few readers have heard of
2. If a parcel comes from an unknown sender, which is true?
a) Nobody can tell who sent it.
b) It arrived a day late.
c) It was sent by mistake.
d) It came from a close friend.
Show answer
a) Nobody can tell who sent it.
