contraband

/ˈkɒn.tɹəˌbænd/

//ˈkɒn.tɹəˌbænd// noun

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

"contraband" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“contraband” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #24,713. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#24,713
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
16
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Any goods which are illicit or illegal to possess.

Corpus desk

Index EN-contraband · contraband · English

contraband · rank #24,713 · 16 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #24,713
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH contesting

Nearest frequency peer: contesting (-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 “contraband”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “contraband” 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
Key facts for contraband
PropertyValue
Headwordcontraband
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɒn.tɹəˌbænd/
Letters10
Frequency rank#24,713
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “contraband”

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “contesting” (#24,712), “cookery” (#24,714), “consultative” (#24,711). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “contraband” is #24,713. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around contraband (IPA /ˈkɒn.tɹəˌbænd/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #24,713 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for contraband, with forms such as "ccontraband", "cnotraband", and "conntraband". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Spanish contrabanda (modern spelling contrabando), from Italian contrabando (modern spelling contrabbando), from contra (“against”) + bando (“ban”), and reinforced by French contrebande. The correct English form is contraband, spelled C-O-N-T-R-A-B-A-N-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any goods which are illicit or illegal to possess.
  2. 2
    Goods which are prohibited from being traded, smuggled goods.
  3. 3
    A black slave during the American Civil War who had escaped to, or been captured by, Union forces.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. While some Yanks treated contrabands with a degree of equity or benevolence, the more typical response was indifference, contempt, or cruelty.

Etymology

From Spanish contrabanda (modern spelling contrabando), from Italian contrabando (modern spelling contrabbando), from contra (“against”) + bando (“ban”), and reinforced by French contrebande.

This word in other languages

contrabando(Español)contrebande(Français)Schmuggelware(Deutsch)contrabando(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccontraband
  • cnotraband
  • conntraband
  • conrtaband
  • contarband
  • contraabnd
  • contrabadn
  • contrabandd
  • contrabannd
  • contrabband
  • contrabnad
  • contrbaand
  • contrraband
  • conttraband
  • cotnraband
  • ocntraband

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccontraband1cnotraband2conntraband1conrtaband2contarband2contraabnd2contrabadn2contrabandd1
Edit distance from "contraband"

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 "contraband"?
"contraband" is spelled C-O-N-T-R-A-B-A-N-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɒn.tɹəˌbænd/.
What does "contraband" mean?
As a noun, "contraband" means: Any goods which are illicit or illegal to possess.
What are common misspellings of "contraband"?
Common misspellings include "ccontraband", "cnotraband", "conntraband", "conrtaband", "contarband". The correct spelling is "contraband".
How do you pronounce "contraband"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "contraband" is /ˈkɒn.tɹəˌbænd/. 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 "contraband"?
From Spanish contrabanda (modern spelling contrabando), from Italian contrabando (modern spelling contrabbando), from contra (“against”) + bando (“ban”), and reinforced by French contrebande. 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 "contraband", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

contesting#24,712criminally#24,716confluence#24,708decisively#24,722

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (16 here; floor ≥5).

Californian16 variantseradication16 variantsmidwestern16 variantsNickelodeon16 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list