contemplative

/kənˈtɛmplətɪv/

//kənˈtɛmplətɪv// adj

"contemplative" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“contemplative” has 20 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #33,188. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#33,188
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
20
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Inclined to contemplate; introspective and thoughtful; meditative.

Corpus desk

Index EN-contemplative · contemplative · English

contemplative · rank #33,188 · 20 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #33,188
  • LEN-MEGA 13 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 20 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH connoisseur

Nearest frequency peer: connoisseur (-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 “contemplative”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “contemplative” 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).

contemplative vs contemplate
85% similar
contemplative vs contemplation
85% similar

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

Key facts for contemplative
PropertyValue
Headwordcontemplative
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/kənˈtɛmplətɪv/
Letters13
Frequency rank#33,188
Misspellings tracked20
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “contemplative”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).contemplativelands 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 “connoisseur” (#33,187), “convocation” (#33,189), “confessor” (#33,186). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “contemplative” is #33,188. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 20 spelling variants around contemplative (IPA /kənˈtɛmplətɪv/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #33,188 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 20 likely wrong-spelling variants for contemplative, with forms such as "ccontemplative", "cnotemplative", and "conetmplative". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "contemplate", "contemplation", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English contemplatyve, contemplatyf, from Old French contemplatif, from Latin contemplātīvus. The correct English form is contemplative, spelled C-O-N-T-E-M-P-L-A-T-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Inclined to contemplate; introspective and thoughtful; meditative.
  2. 2
    Pertaining to a religious contemplative, or a contemplative religious orders, especially the Roman Catholic varieties.
  3. 3
    Relating to, or having the power of, contemplation.
  4. 4
    In a phase of mental activity in which one begins to recognize and acknowledge the maladaptiveness of someone's behavior (such as one's own, or that of a family member or friend); usually with reference to substance use.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how contemplative appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Compared with the greatest poets, he may be said to be the poet of unpoetical natures, possessed of quiet and contemplative tastes. But unpoetical natures are precisely those which require poetic cultivation. This cultivation Wordsworth is much more fitted to give, than poets who are intrinsically far more poets than he.
  2. Whether the nuns of yore, being of a submissive rather than a stiff-necked generation, habitually bent their contemplative heads to avoid collision with the beams in the low ceilings of the many chambers of their House [...] may be matters of interest to its haunting ghosts (if any), but constitute no item in Miss Twinkleton's half-yearly accounts.

Etymology

From Middle English contemplatyve, contemplatyf, from Old French contemplatif, from Latin contemplātīvus.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccontemplative
  • cnotemplative
  • conetmplative
  • conntemplative
  • contemlpative
  • contemmplative
  • contempaltive
  • contemplaitve
  • contemplatiev
  • contemplativve
  • contemplattive
  • contemplatvie
  • contempllative
  • contempltaive
  • contempplative
  • contepmlative
  • contmeplative
  • conttemplative
  • cotnemplative
  • ocntemplative

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccontemplative1cnotemplative2conetmplative2conntemplative1contemlpative2contemmplative1contempaltive2contemplaitve2
Edit distance from "contemplative"

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 "contemplative"?
"contemplative" is spelled C-O-N-T-E-M-P-L-A-T-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /kənˈtɛmplətɪv/.
What does "contemplative" mean?
As an adjective, "contemplative" means: Inclined to contemplate; introspective and thoughtful; meditative.
What words are commonly confused with "contemplative"?
"contemplative" is commonly confused with "contemplate", "contemplation". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "contemplative"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "contemplative" is /kənˈtɛmplətɪv/. 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 "contemplative"?
From Middle English contemplatyve, contemplatyf, from Old French contemplatif, from Latin contemplātīvus. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

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

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 13 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (20 here; floor ≥5).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list