kontrahieren

[kɔntʁaˈhiːʁən]

/[kɔntʁaˈhiːʁən]/ verb

The verdict

“kontrahieren” is uncommon German (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
12
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - sich zusammenziehen (bei Muskeln)

Corpus desk

Index DE-kontrahieren · kontrahieren · German

kontrahieren · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "K" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for kontrahieren
PropertyValue
Headwordkontrahieren
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[kɔntʁaˈhiːʁən]
Letters12
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „kontrahieren“ im Deutschen

kontrahierenschafft es nicht in die Top 100.000 des Deutschen: Zone für Fach-, Alt- oder Seltenwortschatz.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

kontrahieren is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed [kɔntʁaˈhiːʁən]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for kontrahieren, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is kontrahieren, spelled K-O-N-T-R-A-H-I-E-R-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    sich zusammenziehen (bei Muskeln)
  2. 2
    einen Vertrag abschließen
  3. 3
    einen gegnerischen Angriff abwehren und zum Gegenangriff übergehen, ihn versuchen zu stechen (Fechtschlag)
  4. 4
    jemanden zum Duell fordern
  5. 5
    miteinander in Konkurrenz stehen
  6. 6
    das Skalarprodukt zwischen einem kontravarianten und kovarianten Vektor bilden

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "kontrahieren"?
"kontrahieren" is spelled K-O-N-T-R-A-H-I-E-R-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [kɔntʁaˈhiːʁən].
What does "kontrahieren" mean?
As a verb, "kontrahieren" means: sich zusammenziehen (bei Muskeln)
How do you pronounce "kontrahieren"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "kontrahieren" is [kɔntʁaˈhiːʁən]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "kontrahieren" come from?
"kontrahieren" 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list