how to pronounce contra

/ˈkɑːntɹə/

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the above transcription of contra is a detailed (narrow) transcription according to the rules of the International Phonetic Association; you can find a description of each symbol by clicking the phoneme buttons in the secction below.

contra is pronounced in two syllables

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example pitch curve for pronunciation of contra

kɑːntɹə

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video examples of contra pronunciation

An example use of contra in a speech by a native speaker of american english:

“… arguments either pro or contra in fact …”

meanings of contra

noun:

  1. A country dance.
  2. A member of any of various rightist guerrilla groups violently opposing the socialist Sandinista government of Nicaragua and secretly funded by the United States government in the 1980s.
  3. A conservative; originally tied to Nicaraguan counter-revolutionaries.
  4. A contra dance.
  5. An entry (or account) that cancels another entry (or account).
  6. A deal to swap goods or services.
  7. Any of the musical instruments in the contrabass range, e.g. contrabassoon, contrabass clarinet or, especially, double bass.

preposition:

  1. Against; contrary or opposed to; in opposition or contrast to.

adverb:

  1. Contrary to something.

verb:

  1. To undo; to reverse.

contra frequency in english - C2+ level of CEFR

the word contra occurs in english on average 0.6 times per one million words; this frequency warrants it to be in the study list for C2+ level of language mastery according to CEFR, the Common European Framework of Reference.

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