imp

[ɪmp]

/[ɪmp]/ noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“imp” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #44,702 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#44,702
frequency rank, German
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - ein nicht mächtiges Fabelwesen von gedrungener Gestalt; meist grünlich/bräunliche Hautfarbe

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

imp vs is
33% similar
imp vs IT
0% similar
imp vs IP
0% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for imp
PropertyValue
Headwordimp
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ɪmp]
Letters3
Frequency rank#44,702
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “imp” sits in German frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). imp lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for imp is 3 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ɪmp]. Corpus data places it at rank #44,702 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No misspelling variants are generated for imp in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular German conventions. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "is", "IT", "IP", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is imp, spelled I-M-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    ein nicht mächtiges Fabelwesen von gedrungener Gestalt; meist grünlich/bräunliche Hautfarbe
  2. 2
    ein schelmisches, ungezogenes Kind

Synonyms

prankstervillainrascalscamp

Antonyms

cherub

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 German corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "imp"?
"imp" is spelled I-M-P. The IPA pronunciation is [ɪmp].
What does "imp" mean?
As a noun, "imp" means: ein nicht mächtiges Fabelwesen von gedrungener Gestalt; meist grünlich/bräunliche Hautfarbe
What words are commonly confused with "imp"?
"imp" is commonly confused with "is", "IT", "IP". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "imp"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "imp" is [ɪmp]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "imp" come from?
"imp" is a German word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “imp”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct German spelling is I-M-P - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ɪmp] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “is” - see the side-by-side comparison. imp vs is
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list