Skip to main content
PlainSpell

contest

/ˈkɑn.tɛst/noun, verb

contest is spelled C-O-N-T-E-S-T: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 34 times per million words in written English, the 2,831st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, contest means “Controversy; debate” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of contest is contests.

How many letters and syllables are in contest?

Letters7: C-O-N-T-E-S-T
Syllables2 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing34 times per million words; the 2,831st most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How common is contest?

Contest appears 34 times per million words in written English, the 2,831st 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 contest?

  • UK /ˈkɒn.tɛst/
  • British /ˈkɔntɛst/
  • US /ˈkɑn.tɛst/

As a verb (“To contend”): /kənˈtɛst/, /kənˈtɛst/.

Contest has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-contest.ogg, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-contest_(verb).wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Forms of contest

  • contests plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • contesting participle, present
  • contested participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does contest mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    Controversy; debate.

    no contest

  2. 2

    Struggle for superiority; combat.

  3. 3

    A competition.

    The child entered the spelling contest.

verb

  1. 1

    To contend.

    I will contest for the open seat on the board.

  2. 2

    To call into question; to oppose.

    The rival contested the dictator's re-election because of claims of voting irregularities.

  3. 3

    To strive earnestly to hold or maintain; to struggle to defend.

    The troops contested every inch of ground.

  4. 4

    To make a subject of litigation; to defend, as a suit; to dispute or resist, as a claim, by course of law.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Contest in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
GermanAuseinandersetzung, Debatte (controversy), Wettkampf, Wettbewerb, Wettstreit (competition – see also competition), streiten (to contend)
Portuguesedisputa (controversy), concurso, competição (competition – see also competition), contender (to contend), contestar, questionar (to oppose)
Spanishdebate (controversy), concurso, competencia, competición (competition – see also competition), competir, contender (to contend)
Frenchconcours, compétition (competition – see also competition)

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 contest come from?

From French contester, from Old French, from Latin contestor (“to call to witness”).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after contest