The correct spelling is N-O-T-I-F-I-C-A-T-I-O-N

Notification is spelled with ten letters: N, O, T, I, F, I, C, A, T, I, O, N. The word comes from the verb "notify," which means to inform or alert someone about something. Many people misspell it by dropping letters, reversing the order of letters, or confusing it with similar-sounding words.

The most common mistakes are writing "notifcation" (missing the second I), "notifiation" (adding an extra I), or rearranging letters in the middle. Knowing the correct spelling matters because this word appears constantly in technology — on your phone, in your email, on websites, and in software settings. When you need to search for help with notifications or adjust notification settings, the correct spelling gets you to the right results faster.

Key Takeaways

  • Notification has ten letters and is spelled N-O-T-I-F-I-C-A-T-I-O-N with two I's in the middle section.
  • The word breaks into parts: notify (the root) plus -ication (a common ending that turns verbs into nouns).
  • Common mistakes include leaving out the second I, adding extra letters, or reversing letters in the middle.
  • You will see this word in phone settings, email programs, and app menus when you control alerts and messages.
  • Spell-check tools in email and word processors will catch misspellings and suggest the correct version automatically.

Breaking the word into parts

The easiest way to remember the spelling is to break notification into its root word and suffix. The root is "notify" (N-O-T-I-F-Y), which means to tell someone about something. The suffix "-ication" turns the verb into a noun — the thing itself rather than the action of doing it.

So notification = notify + ication. When you add the suffix, the Y in notify changes to an I, giving you notif-ication. Then you add the -tion ending, which creates the double I you see in the middle of the word: notifi-cation. This structure is the same in many English words: clarify becomes clarification, justify becomes justification, and modify becomes modification.

Why people misspell it

The double I in the middle trips up most readers because English words rarely have two I's next to each other. Your brain wants to drop one of them or rearrange them to make the word look more familiar. The word also has a lot of letters in a row without many vowels to break them up, which makes it harder to hold in your head while typing or writing by hand.

Another reason is that "notification" sounds like it could be spelled "notifaction" or "notifiction" when you say it out loud. The way the word is pronounced does not match the spelling perfectly, so sounding it out does not always help you get it right. This is why looking at the word written down or using spell-check is more reliable than trusting your ear.

Where you will see this word

On your phone or computer, notification appears in settings menus, permission screens, and alert controls. When you turn notifications on or off for an app, you are controlling whether that app can send you alerts. Email programs use the word when you set up rules for which messages trigger a sound or badge on your inbox.

You will also see it in browser settings, where you can allow or block websites from sending notifications to your desktop. Social media apps use it to describe the alerts you get when someone likes your post or sends you a message. Learning to spell it correctly helps you search for help articles and understand what settings do when you are trying to manage your alerts.

Similar words that are easy to confuse

Several words sound like notification but are spelled differently. Notification (the alert itself) is different from notified (the past tense of notify — "I was notified about the change"). It is also different from notify (the verb — "Please notify me when it arrives"). Each form serves a different purpose in a sentence.

The word notification should not be confused with notation, which means a system of symbols or marks (like musical notation or scientific notation). Notation has only one I and no F, so it is a completely different word with a different meaning. Notation refers to a system of writing or symbols, while notification refers to an alert or message.

Quick spelling check

If you are unsure whether you have spelled it right, count the letters: N-O-T-I-F-I-C-A-T-I-O-N is ten letters total. Check that you have two I's — one after the T and one after the F. Make sure the F comes before the C, not after. The word ends in -tion, not -sion or -ation.

Most spell-check tools in email, word processors, and text editors will catch a misspelling of notification and suggest the correct spelling. If you are typing on a phone, the autocorrect feature usually fixes it automatically once you move to the next word. You can also copy the correct spelling from this page and paste it into your document if you need to be certain.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it notification or notifcation?

It is notification with two I's. The misspelling "notifcation" (with only one I) is incorrect. The second I comes right after the F, before the C. You can remember this by thinking of the root word "notify" and the suffix "-ication" joined together.

What is the difference between notification and notified?

Notification is the noun — the alert or message itself. Notified is the past tense of the verb notify, meaning someone informed you about something. "I received a notification" and "I was notified about the change" both use the same root word but in different forms.

Why does notification have two I's?

The two I's come from how the word is built. Notify becomes notifi when you add the -cation suffix (the Y changes to I). Then the -tion ending adds another I, creating the double I you see in the middle of the word: notifi-cation.

Can I use notifcation as an alternate spelling?

No. Notifcation is a misspelling. The only correct spelling is notification with two I's. Spell-check tools and dictionaries will mark notifcation as wrong, and it may cause confusion when you are searching for help or communicating about technology settings.

How do I remember to spell it with two I's?

Break it into parts: notify + ication. The first I comes from changing the Y in notify to an I. The second I comes from the -tion ending. Thinking of the word as two pieces joined together makes the double I easier to remember.