contemplate
con·tem·plate/ˈkɑn.təmˌpleɪt/verb
contemplate is spelled C-O-N-T-E-M-P-L-A-T-E: 11 letters and 3 syllables (con·tem·plate). It appears 2.6 times per million words in written English, the 16,896th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, contemplate means “To look at on all sides or in all its aspects; to view or consider with continued attention; to regard with deliberate care; to meditate on; to…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in contemplate?
| Letters | 11: C-O-N-T-E-M-P-L-A-T-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: con·tem·plate |
| In writing | 2.6 times per million words; the 16,896th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is contemplate?
Contemplate appears 2.6 times per million words in written English, the 16,896th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce contemplate?
- US /ˈkɑn.təmˌpleɪt/
- UK /ˈkɒn.təmˌpleɪt/
Contemplate has 3 syllables, split con·tem·plate in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-contemplate.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of contemplate
- contemplates present, singular, he/she/it
- contemplating participle, present
- contemplated participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does contemplate mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To look at on all sides or in all its aspects; to view or consider with continued attention; to regard with deliberate care; to meditate on; to study, ponder, or consider.
- 2
To consider as a possibility.
I contemplated doing the project myself, but it would have taken too long.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Contemplate in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense think about something in a concentrated manner:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | envisager, étudier, contempler |
| German | nachsinnen, kontemplieren |
| Portuguese | contemplar |
| Spanish | contemplar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does contemplate come from?
First attested in the 1590s; borrowed from Latin contemplātus, the perfect active participle of contemplor (“to observe, survey, gaze (at), contemplate”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). See also template.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).