Contergan

[ˌkɔntɐˈɡaːn]

/[ˌkɔntɐˈɡaːn]/ name

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“Contergan” is uncommon German (frequency #90,114 among 20,081 “C” headwords), classed as a proper noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#90,114
frequency rank, German
20,081
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Schlaf- und Beruhigungsmittel, das während Schwangerschaft zu schweren Fehlbildungen bei den Kindern führte und deswegen aus dem Handel genommen wurde

Key facts for Contergan
PropertyValue
HeadwordContergan
LanguageGerman
Part of speechProper noun
IPA[ˌkɔntɐˈɡaːn]
Letters9
Frequency rank#90,114
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Contergan” sits in German frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). Contergan lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Contergan is uncommon German at frequency #90,114 among 20,081 “C” headwords, classed as aproper noun, transcribed [ˌkɔntɐˈɡaːn]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Schlaf- und Beruhigungsmittel, das während Schwangerschaft zu schweren Fehlbildungen bei den Kindern führte und deswegen aus dem Handel genommen wurde".

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for Contergan, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is Contergan, spelled C-O-N-T-E-R-G-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Schlaf- und Beruhigungsmittel, das während Schwangerschaft zu schweren Fehlbildungen bei den Kindern führte und deswegen aus dem Handel genommen wurde

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 German corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Contergan"?
"Contergan" is spelled C-O-N-T-E-R-G-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˌkɔntɐˈɡaːn].
What does "Contergan" mean?
As a proper noun, "Contergan" means: Schlaf- und Beruhigungsmittel, das während Schwangerschaft zu schweren Fehlbildungen bei den Kindern führte und deswegen aus dem Handel genommen wurde
How do you pronounce "Contergan"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Contergan" is [ˌkɔntɐˈɡaːn]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Contergan" come from?
"Contergan" is a German word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “Contergan”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct German spelling is C-O-N-T-E-R-G-A-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˌkɔntɐˈɡaːn] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words

Other uncommon German words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list