contacted

/ˈkɑntæktɪd/

//ˈkɑntæktɪd// verb

"contacted" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“contacted” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #7,111 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#7,111
frequency rank, English
9
letters
14
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - simple past and past participle of contact

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

contacted vs contacts
78% similar
contacted vs contained
78% similar
contacted vs convicted
78% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for contacted
PropertyValue
Headwordcontacted
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈkɑntæktɪd/
Letters9
Frequency rank#7,111
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “contacted” sits in English 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). contacted lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for contacted is 9 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkɑntæktɪd/. Corpus data places it at rank #7,111 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "simple past and past participle of contact".

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for contacted, with forms such as "ccontacted", "cnotacted", and "conatcted". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 11 confusable-pair relationships, "contacts", "contained", "convicted", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct English form is contacted, spelled C-O-N-T-A-C-T-E-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    simple past and past participle of contact

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccontacted,cnotacted,conatcted,conntacted,contaccted,contacetd,contactde,contactedd,contactted,contatced,contcated,conttacted,cotnacted,ocntacted

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of contacted - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ccontacted1cnotacted2conatcted2conntacted1contaccted1contacetd2contactde2contactedd1
Edit distance from "contacted"

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 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "contacted"?
"contacted" is spelled C-O-N-T-A-C-T-E-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɑntæktɪd/.
What does "contacted" mean?
As a verb, "contacted" means: simple past and past participle of contact
What words are commonly confused with "contacted"?
"contacted" is commonly confused with "contacts", "contained", "convicted". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "contacted"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "contacted" is /ˈkɑntæktɪd/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "contacted" come from?
"contacted" is a English 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 “contacted”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-O-N-T-A-C-T-E-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈkɑntæktɪd/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “contacts” - see the side-by-side comparison. contacted vs contacts
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list