Which to use
“automatic” is an adjective and “automation” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #3,862
- “automatic” frequency rank
- #9,567
- “automation” frequency rank
- 13429
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | automatic | automation |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Capable of operating without external control or intervention. | The act or process of converting the controlling of a machine or device to a more automatic system, such as computer or electronic controls. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set automatic and automation apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
automatic and automation form a confusable pair in the English index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 13429, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
automatic is recorded at frequency rank #3,862, classified as anadj, pronounced /ˌɔː.təˈmæt.ɪk/. automation is at rank #9,567, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˌɔː.təˈmeɪ.ʃən/.
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 13429, this pair ranks #475,868 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "automatic" and "automation" be used interchangeably?
Remembering automatic vs automation
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “automatic”; for a noun, it's “automation”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “automatic” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable