Imperativ

[ˈɪmpeʁatiːf]

/[ˈɪmpeʁatiːf]/ noun

The verdict

“Imperativ” has 13 generated spelling variants in the German index at frequency #29,177. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#29,177
frequency rank, German
17,725
“I” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - grammatische Kategorie der Konjugation des Verbs, die benutzt wird, um Aufforderungen oder Befehle auszudrücken

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Imperativ vs imperator
67% similar

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

Key facts for Imperativ
PropertyValue
HeadwordImperativ
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈɪmpeʁatiːf]
Letters9
Frequency rank#29,177
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Imperativ” 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). Imperativ lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around Imperativ (IPA [ˈɪmpeʁatiːf]), anoun. Corpus frequency is #29,177 among 17,725 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for Imperativ, with forms such as "imeprativ", "immperativ", and "impeartiv". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "imperator", 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, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct German form is Imperativ, spelled I-M-P-E-R-A-T-I-V.

Definition

  1. 1
    grammatische Kategorie der Konjugation des Verbs, die benutzt wird, um Aufforderungen oder Befehle auszudrücken
  2. 2
    generelle Forderung, Verpflichtung

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: imeprativ,immperativ,impeartiv,imperaitv,imperativv,imperattiv,imperatvi,imperrativ,impertaiv,impperativ,impreativ,ipmerativ,miperativ

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Imperativ - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

imeprativ2immperativ1impeartiv2imperaitv2imperativv1imperattiv1imperatvi2imperrativ1
Edit distance from "Imperativ"

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 "Imperativ"?
"Imperativ" is spelled I-M-P-E-R-A-T-I-V. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈɪmpeʁatiːf].
What does "Imperativ" mean?
As a noun, "Imperativ" means: grammatische Kategorie der Konjugation des Verbs, die benutzt wird, um Aufforderungen oder Befehle auszudrücken
What words are commonly confused with "Imperativ"?
"Imperativ" is commonly confused with "imperator". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Imperativ"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Imperativ" is [ˈɪmpeʁatiːf]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Imperativ" come from?
"Imperativ" 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 “Imperativ”

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

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

Same frequency band

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