contentious

/kənˈtɛn.ʃəs/

//kənˈtɛn.ʃəs// adj

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

"contentious" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“contentious” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #19,298 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#19,298
frequency rank, English
11
letters
16
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Marked by heated arguments or controversy.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

contentious vs conventions
82% similar
contentious vs contention
82% similar

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

Key facts for contentious
PropertyValue
Headwordcontentious
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/kənˈtɛn.ʃəs/
Letters11
Frequency rank#19,298
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “contentious” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for contentious is 11 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kənˈtɛn.ʃəs/. Corpus data places it at rank #19,298 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for contentious, with forms such as "ccontentious", "cnotentious", and "conetntious". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "conventions", "contention", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French contentieux, from Latin contentiōsus (“quarrelsome, perverse”), from contentiō (“contention”), from contendere, past participle contentus (“to contend”). Equivalent to English contention + -ous. The correct English form is contentious, spelled C-O-N-T-E-N-T-I-O-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Marked by heated arguments or controversy.
  2. 2
    Given to struggling with others out of jealousy or discord.

Etymology

From Middle French contentieux, from Latin contentiōsus (“quarrelsome, perverse”), from contentiō (“contention”), from contendere, past participle contentus (“to contend”). Equivalent to English contention + -ous.

This word in other languages

controvertido(Español)controversé(Français)umstritten(Deutsch)controverso(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccontentious,cnotentious,conetntious,conntentious,contenitous,contenntious,contentiosu,contentiouss,contentiuos,contentoius,contenttious,contetnious,contnetious,conttentious,cotnentious,ocntentious

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccontentious1cnotentious2conetntious2conntentious1contenitous2contenntious1contentiosu2contentiouss1
Edit distance from "contentious"

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 "contentious"?
"contentious" is spelled C-O-N-T-E-N-T-I-O-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /kənˈtɛn.ʃəs/.
What does "contentious" mean?
As an adjective, "contentious" means: Marked by heated arguments or controversy.
What words are commonly confused with "contentious"?
"contentious" is commonly confused with "conventions", "contention". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "contentious"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "contentious" is /kənˈtɛn.ʃəs/. 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 "contentious"?
From Middle French contentieux, from Latin contentiōsus (“quarrelsome, perverse”), from contentiō (“contention”), from contendere, past participle contentus (“to contend”). Equivalent to English contention + -ous. 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.

Using “contentious”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is C-O-N-T-E-N-T-I-O-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /kənˈtɛn.ʃəs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “conventions” - see the side-by-side comparison. contentious vs conventions
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list