contract
/ˈkɑnˌtɹækt/
verbnoun
Core
1.v.enter into a contractual arrangement
2.v.engage by written agreement
“They signed two new pitchers for the next season”
3.v.squeeze or press together
“she compressed her lips”
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contract and contrast differ by a single letter, buried far enough into the word to be easy to miss. contract means “enter into a contractual arrangement”. contrast means “the opposition or dissimilarity of things that are compared”. contract is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈkɑnˌtɹækt/
1.v.enter into a contractual arrangement
2.v.engage by written agreement
“They signed two new pitchers for the next season”
3.v.squeeze or press together
“she compressed her lips”
/ˈkɑntɹæst/
1.n.the opposition or dissimilarity of things that are compared
“in contrast to”
2.n.the act of distinguishing by comparing differences
3.n.a conceptual separation or distinction
“there is a narrow line between sanity and insanity”
| contract | contrast | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɑnˌtɹækt/ | /ˈkɑntɹæst/ |
| Said | KAHN-trakt | KAHN-trast |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 8 | 8 |
| Parts of speech | verb, noun | noun, verb |
| Senses | 12 | 7 |
| How common | Core | Familiar |
| Synonyms | undertake | direct contrast |
Full entry for contract · Full entry for contrast · More comparisons