por el contrario

[poɾ el kõn̪ˈt̪ɾaɾjo]

/[poɾ el kõn̪ˈt̪ɾaɾjo]/ phrase

The verdict

“por el contrario” is uncommon Spanish (outside the top frequency list), classed as a phrase. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency Spanish
16
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Se usa para introducir un contraste con lo que se venía diciendo.

Corpus desk

Index ES-por-el-contrario · por el contrario · Spanish

por el contrario · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 16 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "P" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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

Cola larga: rango de “por el contrario” en español

por el contrarioestá más allá de las 100.000 formas más frecuentes del español, en la cola de léxico especializado o poco usado donde la duda ortográfica aprieta.

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

Rare enough to double-check

por el contrario is uncommon Spanish outside the top frequency list, classed as aphrase, transcribed [poɾ el kõn̪ˈt̪ɾaɾjo]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "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

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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list