contradiction in terms
"contradiction-in-terms" is a 20-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“contradiction in terms” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 22
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A phrase or expression in which the component words contradict one another, often unintentionally, or are claimed to do so when seen from a particular point of view.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | contradiction in terms |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| Letters | 22 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “contradiction in terms” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
contradiction in terms is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A phrase or expression in which the component words contradict one another, often unintentionally, or are claimed to do so when seen from a particular point of view.".
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for contradiction in terms, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
No documented word history exists for this headword, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct English form is contradiction in terms, spelled C-O-N-T-R-A-D-I-C-T-I-O-N- -I-N- -T-E-R-M-S.
Definition
- 1A phrase or expression in which the component words contradict one another, often unintentionally, or are claimed to do so when seen from a particular point of view.
Synonyms
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “contradiction in terms”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is C-O-N-T-R-A-D-I-C-T-I-O-N- -I-N- -T-E-R-M-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.