My mail icon shows 2,966 unread emails but cannot delete them. Any suggestions? Thanks, Elizabeth

If you delete them in webmail, make sure that in settings there you find and check the box to sync activities that you do in webmail with smtp output on other devices. Not sure which service you're using but that should exist somewhere.

You have not told us which email service provider you use.

It sounds as if you have a POP email account, meaning the emails on your iPad do not sync particularly well with those on your email provider's server. You may wish to follow your email provider's instructions to set up an IMAP account (if your email provider offers this). This would mean when you delete an email from anywhere, it would be deleted everywhere.

Use a web browser on a computer to visit your email provider's webmail site. Review and delete your emails from there.