contaminer

\kɔ̃.ta.mi.ne\

/\kɔ̃.ta.mi.ne\/ verb

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

The verdict

“contaminer” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #27,750 in French word frequency and used as a verb.

#27,750
frequency rank, French
10
letters
15
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Souiller par le contact d’un objet impur ou malpropre.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

contaminer vs condamner
80% similar
contaminer vs container
90% similar
contaminer vs contamine
90% similar

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

Key facts for contaminer
PropertyValue
Headwordcontaminer
LanguageFrench
Part of speechVerb
IPA\kɔ̃.ta.mi.ne\
Letters10
Frequency rank#27,750
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “contaminer” sits in French 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). contaminer 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 French entry for contaminer is 10 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \kɔ̃.ta.mi.ne\. Corpus data places it at rank #27,750 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 12 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 contaminer, with forms such as "ccontaminer", "cnotaminer", and "conatminer". 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. It also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "condamner", "container", "contamine", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct French form is contaminer, spelled C-O-N-T-A-M-I-N-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Souiller par le contact d’un objet impur ou malpropre.
  2. 2
    Infecter en introduisant dans un objet, un milieu, ou un organisme vivant des microorganismes, des germes, généralement pathogènes.
  3. 3
    Provoquer la contamination radioactive.
  4. 4
    Influencer quelque chose et le transformer.
  5. 5
    Infecter par la contagion.
  6. 6
    Changer la nature d’une chose, corrompre.
  7. 7
    Dénaturer.
  8. 8
    Être affecté par la présence ou par le contact de quelque chose.
  9. 9
    Altérer l’état physique d’un être vivant, rendre malade ou apte à propager une maladie.
  10. 10
    Gagner.
  11. 11
    Transmettre une maladie à une personne.
  12. 12
    Transmettre une maladie à une personne.

Synonyms

infectertransmettrepolluercontagiercontagionnervicieraltérerentacherflétrirsalirsouiller

Antonyms

décontaminerdépolluerdésinfecter

This word in other languages

contaminate(English)contaminar(Español)verseuchen(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccontaminer,cnotaminer,conatminer,conntaminer,contaimner,contamienr,contaminerr,contaminner,contaminre,contamminer,contamnier,contmainer,conttaminer,cotnaminer,ocntaminer

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of contaminer - 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.

ccontaminer1cnotaminer2conatminer2conntaminer1contaimner2contamienr2contaminerr1contaminner1
Edit distance from "contaminer"

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "contaminer"?
"contaminer" is spelled C-O-N-T-A-M-I-N-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is \kɔ̃.ta.mi.ne\.
What does "contaminer" mean?
As a verb, "contaminer" means: Souiller par le contact d’un objet impur ou malpropre.
What words are commonly confused with "contaminer"?
"contaminer" is commonly confused with "condamner", "container", "contamine". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "contaminer"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "contaminer" is \kɔ̃.ta.mi.ne\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "contaminer" come from?
"contaminer" is a French 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 “contaminer”

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

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