contour

/ˈkɒntɔː(ɹ)/

//ˈkɒntɔː(ɹ)// noun

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

"contour" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“contour” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #17,806. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#17,806
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An outline, boundary or border, usually of curved shape.

Corpus desk

Index EN-contour · contour · English

contour · rank #17,806 · 10 variants · 6 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #17,806
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 6 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH constellation

Nearest frequency peer: constellation (-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 “contour”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “contour” 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).

contour vs Conor
57% similar
contour vs Connor
57% similar
contour vs concur
71% similar

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

Key facts for contour
PropertyValue
Headwordcontour
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɒntɔː(ɹ)/
Letters7
Frequency rank#17,806
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “contour”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).contourlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “constellation” (#17,805), “crispy” (#17,807), “conserve” (#17,804). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “contour” is #17,806. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around contour (IPA /ˈkɒntɔː(ɹ)/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #17,806 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for contour, with forms such as "ccontour", "cnotour", and "conntour". 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 6 confusable-pair relationships, "Conor", "Connor", "concur", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French contour, from contourner, equivalent to con- + tour. The correct English form is contour, spelled C-O-N-T-O-U-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    An outline, boundary or border, usually of curved shape.
  2. 2
    A line on a map or chart delineating those points which have the same altitude or other plotted quantity: a contour line or isopleth; (metonymically) the landform or its surface.
  3. 3
    a speech sound which behaves as a single segment, but which makes an internal transition from one quality, place, or manner to another.
  4. 4
    A general description giving the most important points.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. the low drag contour of a modern automobile
  2. The semi-streamlined contour of the earlier G.W.R. railcars has been given up in favour of a more utilitarian blunt-nose end, and effective floor space gained thereby.

Etymology

Borrowed from French contour, from contourner, equivalent to con- + tour.

This word in other languages

contorno(Español)contour(Français)Kontur(Deutsch)contorno(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccontour
  • cnotour
  • conntour
  • conotur
  • contoru
  • contourr
  • conttour
  • contuor
  • cotnour
  • ocntour

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccontour1cnotour2conntour1conotur2contoru2contourr1conttour1contuor2
Edit distance from "contour"

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 "contour"?
"contour" is spelled C-O-N-T-O-U-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɒntɔː(ɹ)/.
What does "contour" mean?
As a noun, "contour" means: An outline, boundary or border, usually of curved shape.
What words are commonly confused with "contour"?
"contour" is commonly confused with "Conor", "Connor", "concur". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "contour"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "contour" is /ˈkɒntɔː(ɹ)/. 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 "contour"?
Borrowed from French contour, from contourner, equivalent to con- + tour. 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 "contour", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

cropped#17,808Crowley#17,810collier#17,799Daytona#17,813

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

crispy10 variantscolossal10 variantschained10 variantsechoing10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list