contingency

/kənˈtɪnd͡ʒənsi/

//kənˈtɪnd͡ʒənsi// noun

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

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

The verdict

“contingency” has 18 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #16,202. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#16,202
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
18
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The quality of being contingent, of happening by chance.

Corpus desk

Index EN-contingency · contingency · English

contingency · rank #16,202 · 18 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #16,202
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 18 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH composing

Nearest frequency peer: composing (-1 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 “contingency”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “contingency” 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).

contingency vs contingent
82% similar

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

Key facts for contingency
PropertyValue
Headwordcontingency
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kənˈtɪnd͡ʒənsi/
Letters11
Frequency rank#16,202
Misspellings tracked18
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “contingency”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).contingencylands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “composing” (#16,201), “commuter” (#16,200), “cupboard” (#16,204). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “contingency” is #16,202. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 18 spelling variants around contingency (IPA /kənˈtɪnd͡ʒənsi/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #16,202 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 18 likely wrong-spelling variants for contingency, with forms such as "ccontingency", "cnotingency", and "conitngency". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "contingent", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From contingent + -cy (16th century). The correct English form is contingency, spelled C-O-N-T-I-N-G-E-N-C-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The quality of being contingent, of happening by chance.
  2. 2
    A possibility; something which may or may not happen. A chance occurrence, especially in finance, unexpected expenses.
  3. 3
    An amount of money which a party to a contract has to pay to the other party (usually the supplier of a major project to the client) if they do not fulfill the contract according to the specification.
  4. 4
    A statement which is neither a tautology nor a contradiction.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. There was also the imperative necessity of creating a reserve fund for unforeseen contingencies, and the question ever present was how was money to be found.
  2. In light of the inherent survival threat posed by zombies and absent specified guidance for detailed planning to address such a contingency, USSTRATCOM has taken the initiative to develop a JOPES Level 3 plan (CONPLAN) consistent with guidance derived from other specified planning efforts to ensure U.S. and Allied freedom of action from zombie domination.

Etymology

From contingent + -cy (16th century).

This word in other languages

contingencia(Español)contingence(Français)Kontingenz(Deutsch)contingência(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccontingency
  • cnotingency
  • conitngency
  • conntingency
  • contignency
  • continegncy
  • contingecny
  • contingenccy
  • contingencyy
  • contingenncy
  • contingenyc
  • continggency
  • contingnecy
  • continngency
  • contnigency
  • conttingency
  • cotningency
  • ocntingency

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of contingency - 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.

ccontingency1cnotingency2conitngency2conntingency1contignency2continegncy2contingecny2contingenccy1
Edit distance from "contingency"

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 "contingency"?
"contingency" is spelled C-O-N-T-I-N-G-E-N-C-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /kənˈtɪnd͡ʒənsi/.
What does "contingency" mean?
As a noun, "contingency" means: The quality of being contingent, of happening by chance.
What words are commonly confused with "contingency"?
"contingency" is commonly confused with "contingent". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "contingency"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "contingency" is /kənˈtɪnd͡ʒənsi/. 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 "contingency"?
From contingent + -cy (16th century). 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 "contingency", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

deprivation#16,211diversified#16,216everlasting#16,227feasibility#16,232

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (18 here; floor ≥5).

reluctantly18 variantsreconnaissance18 variantsneuroscience18 variantsundocumented18 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list