# contention vs contentious

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### contention
*noun · IPA /kənˈtɛnʃən/ · frequency rank #10,671*
Argument, contest, debate, strife, struggle.

### contentious
*adjective · IPA /kənˈtɛn.ʃəs/ · frequency rank #19,298*
Marked by heated arguments or controversy.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/contention-vs-contentious