Which to use
“imitating” is a verb and “imitation” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #22,406
- “imitating” frequency rank
- #15,631
- “imitation” frequency rank
- 38037
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | imitating | imitation |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | present participle and gerund of imitate | The act of imitating. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set imitating and imitation apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: imitating is /ˈɪməteɪtɪŋ/ while imitation is /ɪmɪˈteɪʃn̩/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 38037, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
imitating is recorded at frequency rank #22,406, classified as averb, pronounced /ˈɪməteɪtɪŋ/. imitation is at rank #15,631, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ɪmɪˈteɪʃn̩/.
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 38037, this pair ranks #289,370 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of imitating vs imitation
Shared letters: aimnt. Private to "imitating": g. Private to "imitation": o.
"imitating" · 9 letters · shape VCVCVCVCC · "imitation" · 9 letters · shape VCVCVCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "imitating" and "imitation" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "imitating" or "imitation"?
Remembering imitating vs imitation
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “imitating”; for a noun, it's “imitation”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “imitating” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable