# impatience vs impotence

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### impatience
*noun · IPA /ɪmˈpeɪʃəns/ · frequency rank #29,691*
The quality of being impatient; lacking patience; restlessness and intolerance of delays; anxiety and eagerness, especially to begin something.

### impotence
*noun · IPA /ˈɪmpətəns/ · frequency rank #30,456*
Powerlessness; incapacity.

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