Which to use
“impersonate” is a verb and “impersonator” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #39,362
- “impersonate” frequency rank
- #40,292
- “impersonator” frequency rank
- 79654
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | impersonate | impersonator |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To pretend to be (a different person); to assume the identity of, especially when there is an intent to deceive. | One who fraudulently impersonates another person. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set impersonate and impersonator apart are highlighted. They share 10 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: impersonate is averb and impersonatoranoun. On the page they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 79654, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
impersonate is recorded at frequency rank #39,362, classified as averb, pronounced /ɪmˈpɜːsəneɪt/. impersonator is at rank #40,292, tagged as anoun.
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 79654, this pair ranks #21,572 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of impersonate vs impersonator
Shared letters: aeimnoprst. Private to "impersonate": -. Private to "impersonator": -.
"impersonate" · 11 letters · shape VCCVCCVCVCV · "impersonator" · 12 letters · shape VCCVCCVCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- impersonate ← imeprsonate · immpersonate · imperosnate · imperrsonate · impersnoate · impersoante · impersonaet · impersonatte
- impersonator ← imeprsonator · immpersonator · imperosnator · imperrsonator · impersnoator · impersoantor · impersonaotr · impersonatorr
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "impersonate" and "impersonator" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "impersonate" or "impersonator"?
Remembering impersonate vs impersonator
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “impersonate”; for a noun, it's “impersonator”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “impersonate” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable