indentation

/ˌɪndɛnˈteɪʃən/

//ˌɪndɛnˈteɪʃən// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"indentation" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“indentation” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #44,863 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#44,863
frequency rank, English
11
letters
17
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of indenting or state of being indented.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

indentation vs infestation
82% similar
indentation vs incantation
82% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for indentation
PropertyValue
Headwordindentation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌɪndɛnˈteɪʃən/
Letters11
Frequency rank#44,863
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “indentation” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). indentation lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for indentation is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌɪndɛnˈteɪʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #44,863 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for indentation, with forms such as "idnentation", "inddentation", and "indenattion". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "infestation", "incantation", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From indent + -ation. The correct English form is indentation, spelled I-N-D-E-N-T-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of indenting or state of being indented.
  2. 2
    A notch or recess, in the margin or border of anything.
  3. 3
    A recess or sharp depression in any surface.
  4. 4
    The act of beginning a line or series of lines at a little distance within the flush line of the column or page, as in the common way of beginning the first line of a paragraph.
  5. 5
    A measure of the distance from the flush line.
  6. 6
    A division unit of a piece of law distinguished by its indentation or by a dash.

Etymology

From indent + -ation.

Antonyms

protrusion

This word in other languages

muesca(Español)indentation(Français)Delle(Deutsch)travessão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: idnentation,inddentation,indenattion,indenntation,indentaiton,indentasion,indentatino,indentationn,indentatoin,indentattion,indenttaion,indenttation,indetnation,indnetation,inedntation,inndentation,nidentation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of indentation - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

idnentation2inddentation1indenattion2indenntation1indentaiton2indentasion1indentatino2indentationn1
Edit distance from "indentation"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "indentation"?
"indentation" is spelled I-N-D-E-N-T-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌɪndɛnˈteɪʃən/.
What does "indentation" mean?
As a noun, "indentation" means: The act of indenting or state of being indented.
What words are commonly confused with "indentation"?
"indentation" is commonly confused with "infestation", "incantation". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "indentation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "indentation" is /ˌɪndɛnˈteɪʃən/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "indentation"?
From indent + -ation. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “indentation”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is I-N-D-E-N-T-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌɪndɛnˈteɪʃən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “infestation” - see the side-by-side comparison. indentation vs infestation
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list