Conniption and contraption are easily confused words.
The spell-check application of most word processing software programs would not catch a slip-up of these two words. Spell-check is looking for words that aren’t in its dictionary, and words that resemble words in its dictionary, but are possibly spelled wrong. Spell-check isn’t perfect. It doesn’t know and can’t guess what word you wanted, or what word you meant, it can only judge the words on the page. If you used words that are all spelled correctly, it gives you a pass anyway.
Autocorrect suggests words that start with the same letters. It’s suggesting what word you may want to save time, but quite often, its suggestions are pretty off base. They don’t help you out, but they do make you laugh.
Conniption (pronounced “kuh-nihp-shun”) is a noun. It means a fit of rage or hysterics. It is used negatively or disparingly.
Contraption (pronounced “kuhn-trap-shun”) is a noun. It means a manmade, typically mechanical or a technological creation. It’s another way of saying a device or a gadget.
The following story uses both words correctly:
Conlan was a fickle young man who always wanted new things. If he was told he couldn’t have the latest contraption that caught his eye, he wailed, he whined, he had a conniption. His parents were growing weary of these fits. They just couldn’t afford every new object that came along. They suggested he stay with his uncle for awhile, where going shopping was not a typical activity.
Conlan was expected to help out on the farm while he stayed there. He and his uncle made birdhouses, animal troughs, and installed a windmill to a water well. And during this time, he learned something about himself. As fun as it was to play with new shiny things, making new things that solved problems was even more fun.
Kathleen W Curry 