contaminar

[kõn̪t̪amiˈnaɾ]

/[kõn̪t̪amiˈnaɾ]/ verb

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

The verdict

“contaminar” is a moderately-common Spanish word, ranked #31,284 in Spanish word frequency and used as a verb.

#31,284
frequency rank, Spanish
10
letters
15
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Inmiscuir una cosa con otra de diferente naturaleza.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

contaminar vs contamina
90% similar
contaminar vs contagiar
80% similar
contaminar vs Container
70% similar

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

Key facts for contaminar
PropertyValue
Headwordcontaminar
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechVerb
IPA[kõn̪t̪amiˈnaɾ]
Letters10
Frequency rank#31,284
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “contaminar” sits in Spanish frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). contaminar lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The Spanish entry for contaminar is 10 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [kõn̪t̪amiˈnaɾ]. Corpus data places it at rank #31,284 in overall Spanish word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for contaminar, with forms such as "ccontaminar", "cnotaminar", and "conatminar". 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 6 confusable-pair relationships, "contamina", "contagiar", "Container", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct Spanish form is contaminar, spelled C-O-N-T-A-M-I-N-A-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Inmiscuir una cosa con otra de diferente naturaleza.
  2. 2
    Dicho de una sustancia: penetrar en un cuerpo hasta arruinarlo.
  3. 3
    Contagiar, inficionar, infectar.
  4. 4
    Corromper, viciar o alterar un texto con frases que desvíen la interpretación de la intención original del autor.
  5. 5
    Pervertir, corromper, o manchar la moral de alguien con vicios y malas influencias.
  6. 6
    Por extensión, deshonrar la ley divina.
  7. 7
    Arruinar o deteriorar el medioambiente arrojando basura y otras porquerías en la vía pública y en espacios naturales que se supone que deben ser protegidos.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccontaminar,cnotaminar,conatminar,conntaminar,contaimnar,contamianr,contaminarr,contaminnar,contaminra,contamminar,contamniar,contmainar,conttaminar,cotnaminar,ocntaminar

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of contaminar - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ccontaminar1cnotaminar2conatminar2conntaminar1contaimnar2contamianr2contaminarr1contaminnar1
Edit distance from "contaminar"

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 Spanish corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "contaminar"?
"contaminar" is spelled C-O-N-T-A-M-I-N-A-R. The IPA pronunciation is [kõn̪t̪amiˈnaɾ].
What does "contaminar" mean?
As a verb, "contaminar" means: Inmiscuir una cosa con otra de diferente naturaleza.
What words are commonly confused with "contaminar"?
"contaminar" is commonly confused with "contamina", "contagiar", "Container". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "contaminar"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "contaminar" is [kõn̪t̪amiˈnaɾ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "contaminar" come from?
"contaminar" is a Spanish word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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.

Using “contaminar”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is C-O-N-T-A-M-I-N-A-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [kõn̪t̪amiˈnaɾ] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “contamina” - see the side-by-side comparison. contaminar vs contamina
  • Browse more Spanish words and confusable pairs in the same reference. Spanish 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list