We discuss a class of flavor-unification models for quarks and leptons based on the unitary groups $\mathrm{SU}(N>5)$. The spontaneous breaking of $\mathrm{SU}(N)$ is proposed to go via $\mathrm{SU}{(3)}_{c}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{[\mathrm{SU}(N\ensuremath{-}3)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\mathrm{U}(1)]}_{f}$, then through successive stages down to $\mathrm{SU}{(3)}_{c}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\mathrm{SU}(2)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\mathrm{U}(1)$. Our models are anomaly-free and have the distinctive feature of associating several left-handed neutral partners to charged leptons. Quark-lepton assigments, weak currents, and fermion mass generation are discussed for SU(6), SU(7), and SU(8). The embedding of the SU(6) model in ${\mathrm{E}}_{6}$ is also indicated. The SU(7) model is noted as the most economical three-generation model (49 chiral fields).