What does unsuitable mean?
Word: Unsuitable
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Unsuitable means not right for a certain person, purpose or occasion.
Synonyms: unfit, wrong
Antonyms: suitable, right
How do you spell unsuitable?
Syllables: un - suit - a - ble
Tricky part: The long vowel in the middle is spelt ui. Children often write unsutable or unsootable.
Watch out for: unsutable, unsootable, unsiutable
Memory tip: Think of a glass of fruit juice: both of those words, like this one, spell that long vowel u then i.
Unsuitable in a sentence
Example 1: The hall was unsuitable for dance practice because its floor was too slippery.
Example 2: This old map is unsuitable for planning a trip, because half the roads on it have changed.
Example 3: Thin cotton socks are unsuitable for a snowy day in Gulmarg.
Fun Fact
The root of this word comes from an old French word for following, which is how suit came to mean a set of things that go together, such as a jacket and trousers made to match.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Fusion
Choose the two parts that complete the word:
___suit___ 1. un 2. dis 3. pur 4. able 5. ible 6. or
a) 1 and 4
b) 3 and 6
c) 2 and 4
d) 1 and 5
Show answer
a) 1 and 4. Un- turns the meaning round and -able is the ending suit takes; with ible the word would be misspelt.
Jumble Tumble
What is the meaning of the word that can be formed from the given letters?
letsinuabu
a) easily broken or damaged
b) not a good match for what is needed
c) full of energy and keen to do things
d) very old and from long ago
Show answer
b) not a good match for what is needed. Sorted out, these letters spell unsuitable, which describes something that does not fit the situation.
Word Puzzle
Match each word with its opposite:
1. unsuitable 2. rare 3. noisy a. common b. silent c. appropriate
a) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
b) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c
c) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a
d) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
Show answer
a) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b. These are opposites: unsuitable and appropriate, rare and common, noisy and silent.
Word Tally
How many words are misspelt in the sentence?
Heavy rain made the muddy ground unsuitable for sports day, so the teachers moved the races into the school hall.
a) 2
b) 3
c) 0
d) 1
Show answer
c) 0. Every word here is spelt correctly, so the count is zero.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. For a swim in the pool, the most unsuitable thing to wear is ___.
a) a thick woollen sweater
b) a pair of swimming goggles
c) a swimming costume
d) a tight swimming cap
Show answer
a) a thick woollen sweater
2. A film marked as unsuitable for young children ___.
a) was made a long time ago
b) is meant for older viewers
c) has no sound at all
d) is too short to be shown
Show answer
b) is meant for older viewers
