Which to use
“ill” is an adverb and “imp” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #25,175
- “ill” frequency rank
- #44,702
- “imp” frequency rank
- 69877
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ill | imp |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | schlecht, falsch | ein nicht mächtiges Fabelwesen von gedrungener Gestalt; meist grünlich/bräunliche Hautfarbe |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set ill and imp apart are highlighted. They share 1 letter in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: ill is [ɪl] while imp is [ɪmp]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (adverb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 69877, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ill is recorded at frequency rank #25,175, classified as anadv, pronounced [ɪl]. imp is at rank #44,702, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɪmp].
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 69877, this pair ranks #463,249 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of ill vs imp
Shared letters: i. Private to "ill": l. Private to "imp": mp.
"ill" · 3 letters · shape VCC · "imp" · 3 letters · shape VCC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ill" and "imp" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "ill" or "imp"?
Remembering ill vs imp
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adverb, it's “ill”; for a noun, it's “imp”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “ill” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable