contribution

/ˌkɒntɹɪˈbjuːʃən/

//ˌkɒntɹɪˈbjuːʃən// noun

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

"contribution" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“contribution” has 19 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #4,009. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#4,009
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
19
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Something given or offered that adds to a larger whole.

Corpus desk

Index EN-contribution · contribution · English

contribution · rank #4,009 · 19 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #4,009
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 19 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH contribute

Nearest frequency peer: contribute (-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 “contribution”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “contribution” 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).

contribution vs contrition
83% similar
contribution vs contributor
83% similar
contribution vs contributions
92% similar

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

Key facts for contribution
PropertyValue
Headwordcontribution
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌkɒntɹɪˈbjuːʃən/
Letters12
Frequency rank#4,009
Misspellings tracked19
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “contribution”

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).contributionlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “contribute” (#4,008), “contributions” (#4,010), “commonwealth” (#4,007). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “contribution” is #4,009. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 19 spelling variants around contribution (IPA /ˌkɒntɹɪˈbjuːʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #4,009 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 19 likely wrong-spelling variants for contribution, with forms such as "ccontribution", "cnotribution", and "conntribution". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "contrition", "contributor", "contributions", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English contribucioun, contribucion, from Old French contribution, from Latin contribūtiōnem, contribūtiō, from Latin contribuēre. By surface analysis, contribute + -ion. The correct English form is contribution, spelled C-O-N-T-R-I-B-U-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Something given or offered that adds to a larger whole.
  2. 2
    An amount of money given toward something.
  3. 3
    The act of contributing.
  4. 4
    The taking part, often with the idea that it has led to (scientific etc.) progress.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Whether we believe in the power of our daily rituals or hold a powerful world-shifting viewpoint, acknowledging and respecting the perspectives of others is the tool that fuels the depth, value, and meaning of our contribution to and relationships with them.
  2. North Korea had not publicly confirmed its contribution until Monday, when it said: “The operations for liberating the Kursk area to repel the adventurous invasion of the Russian Federation by the Ukrainian authorities were victoriously concluded,” according to state-run news agency KCNA.

Etymology

From Middle English contribucioun, contribucion, from Old French contribution, from Latin contribūtiōnem, contribūtiō, from Latin contribuēre. By surface analysis, contribute + -ion.

This word in other languages

contribución(Español)contribution(Français)Beitrag(Deutsch)contribuição(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccontribution
  • cnotribution
  • conntribution
  • conrtibution
  • contirbution
  • contrbiution
  • contribbution
  • contribtuion
  • contribuiton
  • contribusion
  • contributino
  • contributionn
  • contributoin
  • contributtion
  • contriubtion
  • contrribution
  • conttribution
  • cotnribution
  • ocntribution

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccontribution1cnotribution2conntribution1conrtibution2contirbution2contrbiution2contribbution1contribtuion2
Edit distance from "contribution"

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 "contribution"?
"contribution" is spelled C-O-N-T-R-I-B-U-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌkɒntɹɪˈbjuːʃən/.
What does "contribution" mean?
As a noun, "contribution" means: Something given or offered that adds to a larger whole.
What words are commonly confused with "contribution"?
"contribution" is commonly confused with "contrition", "contributor", "contributions". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "contribution"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "contribution" is /ˌkɒntɹɪˈbjuːʃən/. 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 "contribution"?
From Middle English contribucioun, contribucion, from Old French contribution, from Latin contribūtiōnem, contribūtiō, from Latin contribuēre. By surface analysis, contribute + -ion. 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 "contribution", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 12 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

commonwealth#4,007agricultural#3,997compensation#4,068conservation#4,071

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (19 here; floor ≥5).

representing19 variantsregistration19 variantsinstructions19 variantsincreasingly19 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list