contradictory

/ˌkɒntɹəˈdɪkt(ə)ɹi/

//ˌkɒntɹəˈdɪkt(ə)ɹi// adj

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

"contradictory" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“contradictory” has 21 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #15,374. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#15,374
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
21
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - That contradicts something, such as an argument.

Corpus desk

Index EN-contradictory · contradictory · English

contradictory · rank #15,374 · 21 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #15,374
  • LEN-MEGA 13 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 21 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH contestant

Nearest frequency peer: contestant (-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 “contradictory”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “contradictory” 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 contradictory
PropertyValue
Headwordcontradictory
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˌkɒntɹəˈdɪkt(ə)ɹi/
Letters13
Frequency rank#15,374
Misspellings tracked21
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “contradictory”

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).contradictorylands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “contestant” (#15,373), “convent” (#15,375), “converse” (#15,376). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “contradictory” is #15,374. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 21 spelling variants around contradictory (IPA /ˌkɒntɹəˈdɪkt(ə)ɹi/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #15,374 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 21 likely wrong-spelling variants for contradictory, with forms such as "ccontradictory", "cnotradictory", and "conntradictory". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Late Latin contradictorius, from Latin contradico. Equivalent to contradict + -ory. The correct English form is contradictory, spelled C-O-N-T-R-A-D-I-C-T-O-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    That contradicts something, such as an argument.
  2. 2
    That is itself a contradiction.
  3. 3
    That is diametrically opposed to something.
  4. 4
    Mutually exclusive.
  5. 5
    Tending to contradict or oppose, contrarious.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. This wide variety of genuinely contradictory holy sutras generated a serious problem in later Chinese and Japanese Buddhism. In the early period the Chinese and Japanese did not know that there were so many schools of Buddhism which disagreed with one another. Chinese and Japanese Buddhists assumed that every single Buddhist sutra was the actual words of…
  2. Our attitudes toward sharks are contradictory. We fear them and yet we seek them out.

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin contradictorius, from Latin contradico. Equivalent to contradict + -ory.

Synonyms

oppositeincompatible

This word in other languages

contradictorio(Español)contradictoire(Français)widersprüchlich(Deutsch)contraditório(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccontradictory
  • cnotradictory
  • conntradictory
  • conrtadictory
  • contardictory
  • contradcitory
  • contraddictory
  • contradicctory
  • contradicotry
  • contradictorry
  • contradictoryy
  • contradictoyr
  • contradictroy
  • contradicttory
  • contraditcory
  • contraidctory
  • contrdaictory
  • contrradictory
  • conttradictory
  • cotnradictory
  • ocntradictory

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccontradictory1cnotradictory2conntradictory1conrtadictory2contardictory2contradcitory2contraddictory1contradicctory1
Edit distance from "contradictory"

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 "contradictory"?
"contradictory" is spelled C-O-N-T-R-A-D-I-C-T-O-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌkɒntɹəˈdɪkt(ə)ɹi/.
What does "contradictory" mean?
As an adjective, "contradictory" means: That contradicts something, such as an argument.
What are common misspellings of "contradictory"?
Common misspellings include "ccontradictory", "cnotradictory", "conntradictory", "conrtadictory", "contardictory". The correct spelling is "contradictory".
How do you pronounce "contradictory"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "contradictory" is /ˌkɒntɹəˈdɪkt(ə)ɹi/. 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 "contradictory"?
Borrowed from Late Latin contradictorius, from Latin contradico. Equivalent to contradict + -ory. 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 "contradictory", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 13 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

unforgettable#15,301unconditional#15,300progressively#15,481retrospective#15,491

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (21 here; floor ≥5).

differentiation21 variantscompetitiveness21 variantscontradiction21 variantssystematically21 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list