IndikationvsIndikatorWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“Indikation” and “Indikator” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#28,257
“Indikation” frequency rank
#16,184
“Indikator” frequency rank
44441
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Indikation Indikator
Definition Umstand, aus dem heraus die Anwendung bestimmter medizinischer Heilbehandlung angezeigt erscheint Hilfsmittel, das die Verfolgung intransparenter Abläufe ermöglicht, indem es das Erreichen oder Verlassen bestimmter Zustände anzeigt

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Indikation and Indikator apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

10 ch
Indikation
9 ch
Indikator

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Indikation ([ɪndikaˈt͡si̯oːn]) and Indikator ([ɪndiˈkaːtoːɐ̯]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 44441, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Indikation is recorded at frequency rank #28,257, classified as anoun, pronounced [ɪndikaˈt͡si̯oːn]. Indikator is at rank #16,184, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɪndiˈkaːtoːɐ̯].

Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.

With a confusion score of 44441, this pair ranks #1,386,090 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Indikation vs Indikator

Shared letters: adiknot. Private to "Indikation": -. Private to "Indikator": r.

"Indikation" · 10 letters · shape VCCVCVCVVC  ·  "Indikator" · 9 letters · shape VCCVCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Indikationidnikation · inddikation · indiaktion · indikaiton · indikatino · indikationn · indikatoin · indikattion
  • Indikatoridnikator · inddikator · indiaktor · indikaotr · indikatorr · indikatro · indikattor · indikkator

Frequency comparison

Indikation#28,257
Indikator#16,184

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Indikation" and "Indikator" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ɪndikaˈt͡si̯oːn] versus [ɪndiˈkaːtoːɐ̯]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Indikation" or "Indikator"?
"Indikator" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #16,184 in our German list, against #28,257 for "Indikation". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Indikation vs Indikator

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Indikation” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list