contour

[kɔ͂tuʀ]

/[kɔ͂tuʀ]/ noun

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

The verdict

“contour” is uncommon German (frequency #99,636 among 20,081 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#99,636
frequency rank, German
20,081
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Der Umriss

Key facts for contour
PropertyValue
Headwordcontour
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[kɔ͂tuʀ]
Letters7
Frequency rank#99,636
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “contour” 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). contour 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

contour is uncommon German at frequency #99,636 among 20,081 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed [kɔ͂tuʀ]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Der Umriss".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for contour, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct German form is contour, spelled C-O-N-T-O-U-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Der Umriss

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 "contour"?
"contour" is spelled C-O-N-T-O-U-R. The IPA pronunciation is [kɔ͂tuʀ].
What does "contour" mean?
As a noun, "contour" means: Der Umriss
How do you pronounce "contour"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "contour" is [kɔ͂tuʀ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "contour" come from?
"contour" is a German word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “contour”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is C-O-N-T-O-U-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [kɔ͂tuʀ] (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