Which to use
“import” is a noun and “impure” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #6,061
- “import” frequency rank
- #30,840
- “impure” frequency rank
- 36901
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | import | impure |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Something brought in from an exterior source, especially for sale or trade. | Not pure |
Where the eye mixes import and impure
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between import and impure
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: import is /ˈɪm.pɔːt/ while impure is /ɪmˈpjʊə(ɹ)/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 36901, 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/. impure is at rank #30,840, tagged as anadj, pronounced /ɪmˈpjʊə(ɹ)/.
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 36901, this pair ranks #299,140 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of import vs impure
Shared letters: impr. Private to "import": ot. Private to "impure": eu.
"import" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCC · "impure" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "import" and "impure" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "import" or "impure"?
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 "impure" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #299,140 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "import" and "impure" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "implore vs impure". 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 #299,140 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.