# instigation vs investigation

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### instigation
*noun · IPA /ˌɪnstɪˈɡeɪʃən/ · frequency rank #44,272*
The act of instigating, or the state of being instigated; incitement; especially to evil or wickedness.

### investigation
*noun · IPA /ɪnˌvɛs.tɪˈɡeɪ.ʃən/ · frequency rank #1,831*
The act of investigating; the process of inquiring into or following up; research, especially patient or thorough inquiry or examination

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/instigation-vs-investigation