counterexample
"counterexample" is a 14-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“counterexample” is uncommon English (frequency #76,674 among 5,599 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- #76,674
- frequency rank, English
- 5,599
- “C” headwords
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An example that counters a general rule; an exception to a general rule; a specific instance of the falsity of (and falsifiability of) any proposed universal applicability of a rule or statement.
Corpus desk
Index EN-counterexample · counterexample · English
counterexample · rank #76,674 · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-RARE #76,674
- LEN-MEGA 14 letters
- VOW-6 6 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-DENSE 5,599
- PHOTO-FINISH crated
Nearest frequency peer: crated (+2 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.
Long-tail ranks near “counterexample”
Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter
- corsage
corsage
23,331 corpus weight
- cosmetically
cosmetically
23,330 corpus weight
- counterexam…
counterexample
23,327 corpus weight
- crated
crated
23,325 corpus weight
- creepily
creepily
23,324 corpus weight
- croaking
croaking
23,323 corpus weight
What this shows Long-tail view: where “counterexample” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | counterexample |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| Letters | 14 |
| Frequency rank | #76,674 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “counterexample” in English
Rare enough to double-check
counterexample is uncommon English at frequency #76,674 among 5,599 “C” headwords, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "An example that counters a general rule; an exception to a general rule; a specific instance of the falsity of (and falsifiability of) any proposed universal applicability of a rule or statement.".
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for counterexample, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: From counter- + example. The correct English form is counterexample, spelled C-O-U-N-T-E-R-E-X-A-M-P-L-E.
Definition
- 1An example that counters a general rule; an exception to a general rule; a specific instance of the falsity of (and falsifiability of) any proposed universal applicability of a rule or statement.
Etymology
From counter- + example.
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); 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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Similar English words by spelling shape
Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "counterexample", not the corpus desk frequency band.
Same letter count
Frequency-ranked English headwords with 14 letters (nearest by frequency rank).