contemplative
/kənˈtɛmplətɪv/
"contemplative" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“contemplative” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #33,188 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.
- #33,188
- frequency rank, English
- 13
- letters
- 20
- tracked misspellings
- 2
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Inclined to contemplate; introspective and thoughtful; meditative.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | contemplative |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /kənˈtɛmplətɪv/ |
| Letters | 13 |
| Frequency rank | #33,188 |
| Misspellings tracked | 20 |
| Confusable pairs | 2 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “contemplative” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for contemplative is 13 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kənˈtɛmplətɪv/. Corpus data places it at rank #33,188 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
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
- 1Inclined to contemplate; introspective and thoughtful; meditative.
- 2Pertaining to a religious contemplative, or a contemplative religious orders, especially the Roman Catholic varieties.
- 3Relating to, or having the power of, contemplation.
- 4In 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.
Etymology
From Middle English contemplatyve, contemplatyf, from Old French contemplatif, from Latin contemplātīvus.
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.
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
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Using “contemplative”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is C-O-N-T-E-M-P-L-A-T-I-V-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /kənˈtɛmplətɪv/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “contemplate” - see the side-by-side comparison. contemplative vs contemplate
- 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.