continent
/ˈkɑntɪnənt/noun, adjective
continent is spelled C-O-N-T-I-N-E-N-T: 9 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 12 times per million words in written English, the 6,347th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, continent means “One of the main contiguous landmasses, separated by water or geological features, on the surface of a planet, sometimes including its continental…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of continent is continents.
How many letters and syllables are in continent?
| Letters | 9: C-O-N-T-I-N-E-N-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 12 times per million words; the 6,347th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none 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 continent?
Continent appears 12 times per million words in written English, the 6,347th 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 continent?
- UK /ˈkɒntɪnənt/
- US /ˈkɑntɪnənt/
- US /ˈkɑnt(ə)nənt/
Continent has 3 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-continent.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of continent
- continents plural
- more continent comparative
- most continent superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does continent mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
One of the main contiguous landmasses, separated by water or geological features, on the surface of a planet, sometimes including its continental shelves and the islands on them.
- 2
Each of the traditional main regions into which the Earth’s land surface is divided, including both an extent of mainland and various conventionally associated islands, etc; namely, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australasia/Oceania, North America, South America, and Antarctica.
- 3
obsoleteA large contiguous landmass as opposed to its islands, peninsulas, and so forth; mainland. Also specifically, the Old World continent of Europe–Asia–Africa: see the Continent.
- 4
A large connected expanse of something in general.
- 5
obsoleteAny continuous tract or area of land; country, connected region.
- 6
obsoleteLand (as opposed to the water), dry land.
- 7
obsoleteThe body or mass of a celestial body such as the sun or moon.
- 8
obsoleteContainer, vessel, something that holds or contains something else.
adjective
- 1
Exercising self-restraint; controlled, temperate with respect to one’s bodily needs or passions, especially sex.
- 2
Having voluntary control over one’s urination or defecation.
- 3
obsoleteNot interrupted; connected; continuous, whether in time or space.
a continent fever
- 4
obsoleteServing to restrain or limit; restraining; opposing.
- 5
obsoleteContaining or capable of containing.
noun
- 1
An Encratite.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Continent in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense each of main land-masses on earth's surface:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | continent |
| German | Kontinent, Erdteil |
| Portuguese | continente |
| Spanish | continente |
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 continent come from?
Borrowed from Latin continens, noun use of present participle of continēre (“to contain”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).