au contraire
/əʊ ˈkɒntɹɛː(ɹ)/
"au-contraire" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“au contraire” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as an adverb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 12
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - On the contrary.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | au contraire |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adverb |
| IPA | /əʊ ˈkɒntɹɛː(ɹ)/ |
| Letters | 12 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “au contraire” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for au contraire is 12 letters long, classified as an adverb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əʊ ˈkɒntɹɛː(ɹ)/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "On the contrary.".
No generated misspelling entries exist for au contraire in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French au contraire. The correct English form is au contraire, spelled A-U- -C-O-N-T-R-A-I-R-E.
Definition
- 1On the contrary.
Etymology
Borrowed from French au contraire.
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 "au contraire"?
What does "au contraire" mean?
How do you pronounce "au contraire"?
What is the origin of the word "au contraire"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “au contraire”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is A-U- -C-O-N-T-R-A-I-R-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /əʊ ˈkɒntɹɛː(ɹ)/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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.