contrary
/ˈkɒntɹəɹi/
"contrary" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“contrary” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,404 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.
- #5,404
- frequency rank, English
- 8
- letters
- 13
- tracked misspellings
- 2
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Opposite; in an opposite direction; in opposition; adverse.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | contrary |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ˈkɒntɹəɹi/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Frequency rank | #5,404 |
| Misspellings tracked | 13 |
| Confusable pairs | 2 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “contrary” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for contrary is 8 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkɒntɹəɹi/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,404 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for contrary, with forms such as "ccontrary", "cnotrary", and "conntrary". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "contrast", "contract", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English contrarie, compare French contraire, from Old French contraire, from Latin contrārius (“opposite, opposed, contrary”), from contrā (“against”). The correct English form is contrary, spelled C-O-N-T-R-A-R-Y.
Definition
- 1Opposite; in an opposite direction; in opposition; adverse.
- 2Opposed; contradictory; inconsistent.
- 3Given to opposition; perverse; wayward.
Etymology
From Middle English contrarie, compare French contraire, from Old French contraire, from Latin contrārius (“opposite, opposed, contrary”), from contrā (“against”).
Synonyms
Antonyms
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: ccontrary,cnotrary,conntrary,conrtary,contarry,contrarry,contraryy,contrayr,contrrary,contrray,conttrary,cotnrary,ocntrary
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of contrary - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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 "contrary"?
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Using “contrary”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is C-O-N-T-R-A-R-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈkɒntɹəɹi/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “contrast” - see the side-by-side comparison. contrary vs contrast
- 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.