contagion

/kənˈteɪd͡ʒən/

//kənˈteɪd͡ʒən// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

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

The verdict

“contagion” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #27,788 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#27,788
frequency rank, English
9
letters
13
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A disease spread by contact.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

contagion vs contain
78% similar
contagion vs contagious
80% similar

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

Key facts for contagion
PropertyValue
Headwordcontagion
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kənˈteɪd͡ʒən/
Letters9
Frequency rank#27,788
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “contagion” 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). contagion 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 contagion is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kənˈteɪd͡ʒən/. Corpus data places it at rank #27,788 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for contagion, with forms such as "ccontagion", "cnotagion", and "conatgion". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "contain", "contagious", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English (late 14th century), from Old French, from Latin contāgiō (“a touching, contact, contagion”) related to contingō (“touch closely”). The correct English form is contagion, spelled C-O-N-T-A-G-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A disease spread by contact.
  2. 2
    The spread or transmission of such a disease.
  3. 3
    The spread of anything likened to a contagious disease.
  4. 4
    The spread of anything likened to a contagious disease.
  5. 5
    A recession or crisis developed in such manner.

Etymology

From Middle English (late 14th century), from Old French, from Latin contāgiō (“a touching, contact, contagion”) related to contingō (“touch closely”).

This word in other languages

contagio(Español)contagion(Français)Ansteckung(Deutsch)contágio(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccontagion,cnotagion,conatgion,conntagion,contaggion,contagino,contagionn,contagoin,contaigon,contgaion,conttagion,cotnagion,ocntagion

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of contagion - 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.

ccontagion1cnotagion2conatgion2conntagion1contaggion1contagino2contagionn1contagoin2
Edit distance from "contagion"

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 "contagion"?
"contagion" is spelled C-O-N-T-A-G-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /kənˈteɪd͡ʒən/.
What does "contagion" mean?
As a noun, "contagion" means: A disease spread by contact.
What words are commonly confused with "contagion"?
"contagion" is commonly confused with "contain", "contagious". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "contagion"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "contagion" is /kənˈteɪd͡ʒən/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "contagion"?
From Middle English (late 14th century), from Old French, from Latin contāgiō (“a touching, contact, contagion”) related to contingō (“touch closely”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
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 “contagion”

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

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