contribution
/ˌkɒntɹɪˈbjuːʃən/
"contribution" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“contribution” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #4,009 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #4,009
- frequency rank, English
- 12
- letters
- 19
- tracked misspellings
- 4
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Something given or offered that adds to a larger whole.
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 | contribution |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˌkɒntɹɪˈbjuːʃən/ |
| Letters | 12 |
| Frequency rank | #4,009 |
| Misspellings tracked | 19 |
| Confusable pairs | 4 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “contribution” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for contribution is 12 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌkɒntɹɪˈbjuːʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #4,009 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
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
- 1Something given or offered that adds to a larger whole.
- 2An amount of money given toward something.
- 3The act of contributing.
- 4The taking part, often with the idea that it has led to (scientific etc.) progress.
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
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.
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
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Using “contribution”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is C-O-N-T-R-I-B-U-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˌkɒntɹɪˈbjuːʃən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “contrition” - see the side-by-side comparison. contribution vs contrition
- 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.