# variation

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˌvɛəɹɪˈeɪʃn̩/ · frequency rank #6,312

## Definitions
1. The act of varying; a partial change in the form, position, state, or qualities of a thing.
2. A related but distinct thing.
3. The angular difference at the vessel between the direction of true north and magnetic north.
4. A line of play that differs from the original.
5. A technique where material is repeated with alterations to the melody, harmony, rhythm, timbre, texture, counterpoint or orchestration; but with some invariant characteristic, e.g. a ground bass.
6. The modification of a hereditary trait.
7. Deviation from the mean orbit of a heavenly body.
8. The situation where two or more linguistic forms appear in the same environment without a change in meaning, the choice of form being determined by factors of dialect, sociolect, register or simply the speaker's preference.

## Etymology
From Middle French variation, from Old French variacion, from Latin variātiō, from vary + -ation.

## Easily confused with
- **variations** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/variation-vs-variations)
- **vacation** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/vacation-vs-variation)
- **valuation** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/valuation-vs-variation)
- **validation** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/validation-vs-variation)

## Common misspellings (13)
`avriation`, `vairation`, `varaition`, `variaiton`, `variasion`, `variatino`, `variationn`, `variatoin`, `variattion`, `varitaion`, `varriation`, `vraiation`, `vvariation`

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