kontrastieren

[kɔntʁasˈtiːʁən]

/[kɔntʁasˈtiːʁən]/ verb

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency German
13
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - einen deutlich erkennbaren Unterschied aufweisen; sich merklich unterscheiden

Corpus desk

Index DE-kontrastieren · kontrastieren · German

kontrastieren · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 13 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 kontrastieren
PropertyValue
Headwordkontrastieren
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[kɔntʁasˈtiːʁən]
Letters13
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „kontrastieren“ im Deutschen

kontrastierensitzt jenseits der 100.000 häufigsten deutschen Formen, im Schwanz spezialisierten oder seltenen Wortschatzes.

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

Rare enough to double-check

kontrastieren is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed [kɔntʁasˈtiːʁən]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

kontrastieren doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct German form is kontrastieren, spelled K-O-N-T-R-A-S-T-I-E-R-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    einen deutlich erkennbaren Unterschied aufweisen; sich merklich unterscheiden
  2. 2
    in Kontrast setzen; deutlich unterscheidbar machen
  3. 3
    einen Kontrast darstellen zu; sich merklich unterscheiden von
  4. 4
    mit einem Kontrastmittel füllen, anfärben
  5. 5
    nach Einsatz eines Kontrastmittels auf einem Bild (Röntgenbild, Sonogramm und Ähnlichem) sichtbar werden

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how kontrastieren appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Jhre Begriffe scheinen der Natur, und also der gesunden Vernunft näher zu kommen, als die unsrigen, in welchen Scythische Barbarey und Maurische Galanterie auf die seltsamste Art mit einander contrastieren. (Wieland 1767)
  2. Von allen Gegenden Deutschlands sind Menschen da, die in ihrer Denckart sehr kontrastiren. (Goethe 1795)

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 "kontrastieren"?
"kontrastieren" is spelled K-O-N-T-R-A-S-T-I-E-R-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [kɔntʁasˈtiːʁən].
What does "kontrastieren" mean?
As a verb, "kontrastieren" means: einen deutlich erkennbaren Unterschied aufweisen; sich merklich unterscheiden
How do you pronounce "kontrastieren"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "kontrastieren" is [kɔntʁasˈtiːʁən]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "kontrastieren" come from?
"kontrastieren" 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