contrecœur

\kɔ̃.tʁə.kœʁ\

/\kɔ̃.tʁə.kœʁ\/ noun

The verdict

“contrecœur” has 15 generated spelling variants in the French index at frequency #42,246. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#42,246
frequency rank, French
257,141
“C” headwords
15
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Mur formant le fond du foyer d’une cheminée, taque ornant cette paroi.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

contrecœur vs contrecoup
80% similar

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

Key facts for contrecœur
PropertyValue
Headwordcontrecœur
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\kɔ̃.tʁə.kœʁ\
Letters10
Frequency rank#42,246
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “contrecœur” 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). contrecœur lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around contrecœur (IPA \kɔ̃.tʁə.kœʁ\), anoun. Corpus frequency is #42,246 among 257,141 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for contrecœur, with forms such as "ccontrecœur", "cnotrecœur", and "conntrecœur". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "contrecoup", 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 read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct French form is contrecœur, spelled C-O-N-T-R-E-C-Œ-U-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Mur formant le fond du foyer d’une cheminée, taque ornant cette paroi.
  2. 2
    Chacune des parois des deux côtés d’une cheminée.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccontrecœur
  • cnotrecœur
  • conntrecœur
  • conrtecœur
  • contercœur
  • contrceœur
  • contreccœur
  • contrecuœr
  • contrecœru
  • contrecœurr
  • contreœcur
  • contrrecœur
  • conttrecœur
  • cotnrecœur
  • ocntrecœur

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of contrecœur - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ccontrecœur1cnotrecœur2conntrecœur1conrtecœur2contercœur2contrceœur2contreccœur1contrecuœr2
Edit distance from "contrecœur"

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 "contrecœur"?
"contrecœur" is spelled C-O-N-T-R-E-C-Œ-U-R. The IPA pronunciation is \kɔ̃.tʁə.kœʁ\.
What does "contrecœur" mean?
As a noun, "contrecœur" means: Mur formant le fond du foyer d’une cheminée, taque ornant cette paroi.
What words are commonly confused with "contrecœur"?
"contrecœur" is commonly confused with "contrecoup". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "contrecœur"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "contrecœur" is \kɔ̃.tʁə.kœʁ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "contrecœur" come from?
"contrecœur" 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 “contrecœur”

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

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

Same frequency band

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