por el contrario

[poɾ el kõn̪ˈt̪ɾaɾjo]

/[poɾ el kõn̪ˈt̪ɾaɾjo]/ phrase

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

The verdict

“por el contrario” is outside the top-ranked Spanish vocabulary, used as a phrase - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency Spanish
16
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Se usa para introducir un contraste con lo que se venía diciendo.

Key facts for por el contrario
PropertyValue
Headwordpor el contrario
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechPhrase
IPA[poɾ el kõn̪ˈt̪ɾaɾjo]
Letters16
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “por el contrario” sits in Spanish frequency

por el contrario falls outside the top-100,000 ranked Spanish words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The Spanish entry for por el contrario is 16 letters long, classified as a phrase, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [poɾ el kõn̪ˈt̪ɾaɾjo]. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Se usa para introducir un contraste con lo que se venía diciendo.".

No misspelling variants are generated for por el contrario in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct Spanish form is por el contrario, spelled P-O-R- -E-L- -C-O-N-T-R-A-R-I-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    Se usa para introducir un contraste con lo que se venía diciendo.

Synonyms

a la inversaen cambio

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 "por el contrario"?
"por el contrario" is spelled P-O-R- -E-L- -C-O-N-T-R-A-R-I-O. The IPA pronunciation is [poɾ el kõn̪ˈt̪ɾaɾjo].
What does "por el contrario" mean?
As a phrase, "por el contrario" means: Se usa para introducir un contraste con lo que se venía diciendo.
How do you pronounce "por el contrario"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "por el contrario" is [poɾ el kõn̪ˈt̪ɾaɾjo]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "por el contrario" come from?
"por el contrario" is a Spanish word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “por el contrario”

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

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is P-O-R- -E-L- -C-O-N-T-R-A-R-I-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [poɾ el kõn̪ˈt̪ɾaɾjo] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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