"in" or "un"

Question

incomprehensible NOT uncomprehensibleunambiguous NOT inambiguousplease explain

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

Hello, Paddy—and welcome to English Forums.

There are no particular rules for 'in-' vs 'un-'. You must rely on your dictionary.

Elanguest · Answer

Here's an explanation from dictionary.com:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/un-

un-1
a prefix meaning “not,” freely used as an English formative, giving negative or opposite force in adjectives and their derivative adverbs and nouns ( unfair; unfairly; unfairness; unfelt; unseen; unfitting; unformed; unheard-of; un-get-at-able ), and less freely used in certain other nouns ( unrest; unemployment ).
Compare un-2 .

Origin:
Middle English un-, on-, Old English; cognate with Dutch on-, Gothic, German un-, Old Norse u-, o-; akin to Latin in-, Greek an-, a-. See a-6 , an-1 , in-3

Synonym Study
See in-3 .

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Mister MicawberThere are no particular rules for 'in-' vs 'un-'. You must rely on your dictionary.

Yes, and there are alternatives im- and il-
It just goes back into the history of the language as to which prefix started to be used with which root words.

Cool Breeze · Answer

Un- is more common before Anglo-Saxon words than in- and its variants im-, il- and ir-.

Im- occurs before wors beginning with m, p and b. It's easier to pronounce im than in, which is the original Latin prefix, before those three sounds because your lips are closed when the sound begins: immature, impolite, impossible, imbibe. The last word is a verb and in does not have a negative meaning in it.

Il- occurs before words beginning with l, again because it makes the pronunciation easier: illegal, illegitimate.

Ir- occurs before words beginning with words beginning with r for the same reason: irreligious, irresponsible.

English wouldn't be English if everything were always that straightforward. There is imbalance but unbalanced, for example.

CB

"in" or "un"

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