Which to use
“imp” and “ink” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #44,702
- “imp” frequency rank
- #45,363
- “ink” frequency rank
- 90065
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | imp | ink |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | ein nicht mächtiges Fabelwesen von gedrungener Gestalt; meist grünlich/bräunliche Hautfarbe | Tinte |
Where the eye mixes imp and ink
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence. imp and ink follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (VCC). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.
Why the eye confuses imp with ink
A purely visual mix-up. imp ([ɪmp]) and ink ([ɪŋk]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 90065, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
imp is recorded at frequency rank #44,702, classified as anoun, pronounced [ɪmp]. ink is at rank #45,363, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɪŋk].
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 90065, this pair ranks #50,766 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of imp vs ink
Shared letters: i. Private to "imp": mp. Private to "ink": kn.
"imp" · 3 letters · shape VCC · "ink" · 3 letters · shape VCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "imp" and "ink" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "imp" vs "ink" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "imp" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "ink" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #50,766 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "imp" and "ink" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "IMs vs ink". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #50,766 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.