counterproductive
/ˌkaʊntəpɹəˈdʌktɪv/
"counterproductive" is a 17-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“counterproductive” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #27,100 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.
- #27,100
- frequency rank, English
- 17
- letters
- 26
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - More of a hindrance than a help.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | counterproductive |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ˌkaʊntəpɹəˈdʌktɪv/ |
| Letters | 17 |
| Frequency rank | #27,100 |
| Misspellings tracked | 26 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “counterproductive” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for counterproductive is 17 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌkaʊntəpɹəˈdʌktɪv/. Corpus data places it at rank #27,100 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "More of a hindrance than a help.".
Our generated misspelling index lists 26 likely wrong-spelling variants for counterproductive, with forms such as "ccounterproductive", "conuterproductive", and "counetrproductive". 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. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: From counter- + productive. The correct English form is counterproductive, spelled C-O-U-N-T-E-R-P-R-O-D-U-C-T-I-V-E.
Definition
- 1More of a hindrance than a help.
Etymology
From counter- + productive.
Antonyms
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: ccounterproductive,conuterproductive,counetrproductive,counnterproductive,counteprroductive,counterporductive,counterpproductive,counterprdouctive,counterprodcutive,counterprodductive,counterproducctive,counterproducitve,counterproductiev,counterproductivve,counterproducttive,counterproductvie,counterprodutcive,counterproudctive,counterprroductive,counterrpoductive,counterrproductive,countreproductive,countterproductive,coutnerproductive,cuonterproductive,ocunterproductive
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of counterproductive - 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 “counterproductive”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is C-O-U-N-T-E-R-P-R-O-D-U-C-T-I-V-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˌkaʊntəpɹəˈdʌktɪv/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- 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.