self-contradictory

adj

"self-contradictory" is a 17-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“self-contradictory” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
18
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Containing multiple claims or ideas that are inherently in disagreement; of something or someone that contradicts itself.

Corpus desk

Index EN-self-contradictory · self-contradictory · English

self-contradictory · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 18 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "S" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for self-contradictory
PropertyValue
Headwordself-contradictory
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
Letters18
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “self-contradictory” in English

self-contradictoryranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

self-contradictory is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Containing multiple claims or ideas that are inherently in disagreement; of something or someone that contradicts itself.".

Zero misspellings are on record for self-contradictory in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From self- + contradictory. The correct English form is self-contradictory, spelled S-E-L-F---C-O-N-T-R-A-D-I-C-T-O-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Containing multiple claims or ideas that are inherently in disagreement; of something or someone that contradicts itself.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. The statement “We agree to disagree on everything” is self-contradictory.

Etymology

From self- + contradictory.

Antonyms

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). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "self-contradictory"?
"self-contradictory" is spelled S-E-L-F---C-O-N-T-R-A-D-I-C-T-O-R-Y.
What does "self-contradictory" mean?
As an adjective, "self-contradictory" means: Containing multiple claims or ideas that are inherently in disagreement; of something or someone that contradicts itself.
What is the origin of the word "self-contradictory"?
From self- + contradictory. 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list