Which to use
“import” is a noun and “imported” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #6,061
- “import” frequency rank
- #7,700
- “imported” frequency rank
- 13761
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | import | imported |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Something brought in from an exterior source, especially for sale or trade. | simple past and past participle of import |
Where the eye mixes import and imported
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between import and imported
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: import is /ˈɪm.pɔːt/ while imported is /ɪmˈpɔːtɪd/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “import” sits inside “imported”, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 13761, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
import is recorded at frequency rank #6,061, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈɪm.pɔːt/. imported is at rank #7,700, tagged as averb, pronounced /ɪmˈpɔːtɪd/.
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 13761, this pair ranks #473,951 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of import vs imported
Shared letters: imoprt. Private to "import": -. Private to "imported": de.
"import" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCC · "imported" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "import" and "imported" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "import" vs "imported" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "import" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "imported" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #473,951 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "import" and "imported" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "implore vs import". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #473,951 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.