Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

contronym

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables
con-tronym
IPA
16
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A word that has two opposing meanings, such as cleave (“stick together” or “split apart”).

Example Sentences

Etymology

From contr(a)- + -onym. Coined 1962 by Jack Herring. Note that the vowel of the suffix generally supersedes the vowel of the prefix, hence coined as contronym, rather than contranym.

Word Breakdown

Inflected Forms

contronyms (plural)

Derived Forms

contronymic contronymous

Phrases

double negative skunked term

Frequently Paired Words

contranymic contranymy contronymy enantiosemy double negative skunked term contranym

Synonyms

autoantonym antagonym Janus word enantioseme

Questions

What does contronym mean?
A word that has two opposing meanings, such as cleave (“stick together” or “split apart”).
Where does contronym come from?
From contr(a)- + -onym. Coined 1962 by Jack Herring. Note that the vowel of the suffix generally supersedes the vowel of the prefix, hence coined as contronym, rather than contranym.

How to pronounce contronym

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “contronym”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “contronym”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “contronym” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.