Which to use
“validation” and “variation” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #11,633
- “validation” frequency rank
- #6,312
- “variation” frequency rank
- 17945
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | validation | variation |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | The act of validating something. | The act of varying; a partial change in the form, position, state, or qualities of a thing. |
Where the eye mixes validation and variation
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between validation and variation
A purely visual mix-up. validation (/ˌvæl.əˈdeɪ.ʃən/) and variation (/ˌvɛəɹɪˈeɪʃn̩/) 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 17945, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
validation is recorded at frequency rank #11,633, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˌvæl.əˈdeɪ.ʃən/. variation is at rank #6,312, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˌvɛəɹɪˈeɪʃn̩/.
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 17945, this pair ranks #448,149 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of validation vs variation
Shared letters: ainotv. Private to "validation": dl. Private to "variation": r.
"validation" · 10 letters · shape CVCVCVCVVC · "variation" · 9 letters · shape CVCVVCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- validation ← avlidation · vaildation · valdiation · valiadtion · validaiton · validasion · validatino · validationn
- variation ← avriation · vairation · varaition · variaiton · variasion · variatino · variationn · variatoin
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "validation" and "variation" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "validation" vs "variation" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "validation" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "variation" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #448,149 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "validation" and "variation" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "validation vs valuation". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #448,149 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.