# impact vs impair

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### impact
*noun · IPA /ˈɪmpækt/ · frequency rank #1,273*
The striking of one body against another; collision.

### impair
*verb · IPA /ɪmˈpɛə(ɹ)/ · frequency rank #31,616*
To weaken; to affect negatively; to have a diminishing effect on.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/impact-vs-impair