contains

/kənˈteɪnz/

//kənˈteɪnz// verb

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

"contains" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“contains” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #2,105. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,105
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - third-person singular simple present indicative of contain

Corpus desk

Index EN-contains · contains · English

contains · rank #2,105 · 12 variants · 6 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,105
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 6 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH connected

Nearest frequency peer: connected (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “contains”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “contains” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

contains vs curtains
75% similar
contains vs contain
88% similar
contains vs contacts
75% similar

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

Key facts for contains
PropertyValue
Headwordcontains
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/kənˈteɪnz/
Letters8
Frequency rank#2,105
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “contains”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).containslands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “connected” (#2,104), “download” (#2,106), “communication” (#2,103). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “contains” is #2,105. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around contains (IPA /kənˈteɪnz/), averb. Corpus frequency is #2,105 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Dominant gloss: "third-person singular simple present indicative of contain".

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for contains, with forms such as "ccontains", "cnotains", and "conatins". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "curtains", "contain", "contacts", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct English form is contains, spelled C-O-N-T-A-I-N-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    third-person singular simple present indicative of contain

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccontains
  • cnotains
  • conatins
  • conntains
  • containns
  • containss
  • contaisn
  • contanis
  • contians
  • conttains
  • cotnains
  • ocntains

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of contains - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ccontains1cnotains2conatins2conntains1containns1containss1contaisn2contanis2
Edit distance from "contains"

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 "contains"?
"contains" is spelled C-O-N-T-A-I-N-S. The IPA pronunciation is /kənˈteɪnz/.
What does "contains" mean?
As a verb, "contains" means: third-person singular simple present indicative of contain
What words are commonly confused with "contains"?
"contains" is commonly confused with "curtains", "contain", "contacts". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "contains"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "contains" is /kənˈteɪnz/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "contains" come from?
"contains" is a English word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "contains", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

download#2,106combined#2,102exercise#2,109people's#2,121

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

connected12 variantsselected12 variantssuggested12 variantssupported12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list