alone and unique share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. alone means “isolated from others”. unique means “radically distinctive and without equal”. alone is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/əˈloʊn/
1.adj.isolated from others
“could be alone in a crowded room”
2.adj.lacking companions or companionship
“he was alone when we met him”
3.adj.exclusive of anyone or anything else
“she alone believed him”
/juˈnik/
1.adj.radically distinctive and without equal
“he is alone in the field of microbiology”
2.adj.(followed by `to') applying exclusively to a given category or condition or locality
“a species unique to Australia”
3.adj.the single one of its kind
“a singular example”
| alone | unique | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /əˈloʊn/ | /juˈnik/ |
| Said | uh-LOHN | yoo-NEEK |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 5 | 6 |
| Parts of speech | adjective, adverb | adjective |
| Senses | 6 | 4 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | none recorded | alone, unequaled, unequalled |
Full entry for alone · Full entry for unique · More comparisons