Which to use
“imp” is a noun and “ist” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #44,702
- “imp” frequency rank
- #7
- “ist” frequency rank
- 44709
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | imp | ist |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | ein nicht mächtiges Fabelwesen von gedrungener Gestalt; meist grünlich/bräunliche Hautfarbe | 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens des Verbs sein |
Where the eye mixes imp and ist
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Visual trap between imp and ist
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: imp is [ɪmp] while ist is [ɪst]. 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 (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 44709, 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]. ist is at rank #7, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɪst].
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 44709, this pair ranks #1,377,290 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of imp vs ist
Shared letters: i. Private to "imp": mp. Private to "ist": st.
"imp" · 3 letters · shape VCC · "ist" · 3 letters · shape VCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "imp" and "ist" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary German text, does "imp" or "ist" show up more?
Useful next steps
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 "ist" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,377,290 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "imp" and "ist" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "imp vs IMs". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,377,290 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.