indignation

/ˌɪn.dɪɡˈneɪ.ʃən/

//ˌɪn.dɪɡˈneɪ.ʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“indignation” has 17 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #26,125. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#26,125
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
17
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An anger aroused by something perceived as an indignity, notably an offense or injustice.

Corpus desk

Index EN-indignation · indignation · English

indignation · rank #26,125 · 17 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #26,125
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 17 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH importer

Nearest frequency peer: importer (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “indignation”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “indignation” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

indignation vs indication
82% similar
indignation vs indigestion
82% similar

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

Key facts for indignation
PropertyValue
Headwordindignation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌɪn.dɪɡˈneɪ.ʃən/
Letters11
Frequency rank#26,125
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “indignation”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).indignationlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “importer” (#26,124), “Indus” (#26,126), “IMAX” (#26,123). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “indignation” is #26,125. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 17 spelling variants around indignation (IPA /ˌɪn.dɪɡˈneɪ.ʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #26,125 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for indignation, with forms such as "idnignation", "inddignation", and "indgination". 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, "indication", "indigestion", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English indignacioun, borrowed from Old French indignation, from Latin indignātiō, from indignor (“to scorn, resent”), from indignus (“unworthy, not fitting”), from in- (“not”) + dignus (“worthy, appropriate”). Attested since ca. 1374. Doublet o… The correct English form is indignation, spelled I-N-D-I-G-N-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    An anger aroused by something perceived as an indignity, notably an offense or injustice.
  2. 2
    A self-righteous anger or disgust.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how indignation appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. He protested in indignation.
  2. The Iron of it ſelfe, though heate red hot, / Approaching neere theſe eyes, would drinke my teares, / And quench this fierie indignation, / Euen in the matter of mine innocence.

Etymology

From Middle English indignacioun, borrowed from Old French indignation, from Latin indignātiō, from indignor (“to scorn, resent”), from indignus (“unworthy, not fitting”), from in- (“not”) + dignus (“worthy, appropriate”). Attested since ca. 1374. Doublet of indignatio.

This word in other languages

indignación(Español)indignation(Français)Empörung(Deutsch)indignação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • idnignation
  • inddignation
  • indgination
  • indigantion
  • indiggnation
  • indignaiton
  • indignasion
  • indignatino
  • indignationn
  • indignatoin
  • indignattion
  • indignnation
  • indigntaion
  • indingation
  • inidgnation
  • inndignation
  • nidignation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of indignation - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

idnignation2inddignation1indgination2indigantion2indiggnation1indignaiton2indignasion1indignatino2
Edit distance from "indignation"

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 "indignation"?
"indignation" is spelled I-N-D-I-G-N-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌɪn.dɪɡˈneɪ.ʃən/.
What does "indignation" mean?
As a noun, "indignation" means: An anger aroused by something perceived as an indignity, notably an offense or injustice.
What words are commonly confused with "indignation"?
"indignation" is commonly confused with "indication", "indigestion". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "indignation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "indignation" is /ˌɪn.dɪɡˈneɪ.ʃən/. 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 "indignation"?
From Middle English indignacioun, borrowed from Old French indignation, from Latin indignātiō, from indignor (“to scorn, resent”), from indignus (“unworthy, not fitting”), from in- (“not”) + dignus (“worthy, appropriate”). Attested since ca. 1374.... 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "indignation", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

metaphysics#26,166evaporation#26,083erroneously#26,081endangering#26,079

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (17 here; floor ≥5).

purposefully17 variantsromantically17 variantsbattleground17 variantspleasurable17 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list