contempt

/kənˈtɛmpt/

//kənˈtɛmpt// noun

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

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

The verdict

“contempt” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #10,520. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#10,520
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The state or act of contemning; the feeling or attitude of regarding someone or something as inferior, base, or worthless; scorn, disdain.

Corpus desk

Index EN-contempt · contempt · English

contempt · rank #10,520 · 13 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #10,520
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH considerations

Nearest frequency peer: considerations (-2 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 “contempt”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “contempt” 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).

contempt vs content
75% similar
contempt vs context
75% similar
contempt vs contest
75% similar

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

Key facts for contempt
PropertyValue
Headwordcontempt
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kənˈtɛmpt/
Letters8
Frequency rank#10,520
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “contempt”

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “considerations” (#10,518), “credentials” (#10,522), “compass” (#10,517). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “contempt” is #10,520. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around contempt (IPA /kənˈtɛmpt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #10,520 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for contempt, with forms such as "ccontempt", "cnotempt", and "conetmpt". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "content", "context", "contest", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin contemptus (“scorn”), from contemnō (“I scorn, despise”), from com- + temnō (“I despise”). Displaced native Old English forsewennes. The correct English form is contempt, spelled C-O-N-T-E-M-P-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    The state or act of contemning; the feeling or attitude of regarding someone or something as inferior, base, or worthless; scorn, disdain.
  2. 2
    The state of being despised or dishonored; disgrace.
  3. 3
    Open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority of a court of law or legislative body.
  4. 4
    Ellipsis of contempt factor.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. And Vickers launched forth into a tirade very different from his platform utterances. He spoke with extreme contempt of the dense stupidity exhibited on all occasions by the working classes. He said that if you wanted to do anything for them, you must rule them, not pamper them.
  2. Transport Minister Marples, meanwhile, used arrogant rhetoric and showed his personal contempt for railways when confirming in Parliament that a third of the network was to be closed even before the survey results were known.

Etymology

From Latin contemptus (“scorn”), from contemnō (“I scorn, despise”), from com- + temnō (“I despise”). Displaced native Old English forsewennes.

Synonyms

contemptdespectdespiciencydespisaldespisementdisdainscorn

Antonyms

honorrespectreverencesympathyveneration

This word in other languages

desprecio(Español)mépris(Français)Verachtung(Deutsch)desdém(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccontempt
  • cnotempt
  • conetmpt
  • conntempt
  • contemmpt
  • contemppt
  • contemptt
  • contemtp
  • contepmt
  • contmept
  • conttempt
  • cotnempt
  • ocntempt

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of contempt - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ccontempt1cnotempt2conetmpt2conntempt1contemmpt1contemppt1contemptt1contemtp2
Edit distance from "contempt"

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 "contempt"?
"contempt" is spelled C-O-N-T-E-M-P-T. The IPA pronunciation is /kənˈtɛmpt/.
What does "contempt" mean?
As a noun, "contempt" means: The state or act of contemning; the feeling or attitude of regarding someone or something as inferior, base, or worthless; scorn, disdain.
What words are commonly confused with "contempt"?
"contempt" is commonly confused with "content", "context", "contest". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "contempt"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "contempt" is /kənˈtɛmpt/. 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 "contempt"?
From Latin contemptus (“scorn”), from contemnō (“I scorn, despise”), from com- + temnō (“I despise”). Displaced native Old English forsewennes. 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 "contempt", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

dwelling#10,530Einstein#10,533enclosed#10,537briefing#10,502

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

amusement13 variantsallocation13 variantsironically13 variantsvaluation13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list