imagine

/ɪˈmæd͡ʒ.ɪn/

//ɪˈmæd͡ʒ.ɪn// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"imagine" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“imagine” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #1,272. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#1,272
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To form a mental image of something; to envision or create something in one's mind.

Corpus desk

Index EN-imagine · imagine · English

imagine · rank #1,272 · 9 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #1,272
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH fighting

Nearest frequency peer: fighting (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Frequency neighbourhood for “imagine”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “imagine” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

imagine vs imagined
88% similar
imagine vs imagines
88% similar
imagine vs image
71% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for imagine
PropertyValue
Headwordimagine
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪˈmæd͡ʒ.ɪn/
Letters7
Frequency rank#1,272
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “imagine” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).imaginelands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “fighting” (#1,271), “impact” (#1,273), “fan” (#1,270). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around imagine (IPA /ɪˈmæd͡ʒ.ɪn/), averb. Corpus frequency is #1,272 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for imagine, with forms such as "iamgine", "imaggine", and "imagien". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "imagined", "imagines", "image", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English ymagynen, from Middle French imaginer, from Latin imāginor, from imāginem, the accusative singular of imāgō (“a copy, likeness, image”). The correct English form is imagine, spelled I-M-A-G-I-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To form a mental image of something; to envision or create something in one's mind.
  2. 2
    To believe in something created by one's own mind, often something false.
  3. 3
    To assume; to suppose.
  4. 4
    To conjecture; to guess.
  5. 5
    To use one's imagination.
  6. 6
    To contrive in purpose; to scheme; to devise.
  7. 7
    Used to mock an idea by suggesting that it is ridiculous or ill thought through.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how imagine appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Try to imagine a pink elephant.
  2. Imagine yourself in a packed airport lounge.

Etymology

From Middle English ymagynen, from Middle French imaginer, from Latin imāginor, from imāginem, the accusative singular of imāgō (“a copy, likeness, image”).

Synonyms

ween

This word in other languages

imaginar(Español)imaginer(Français)vorstellen(Deutsch)imaginar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • iamgine
  • imaggine
  • imagien
  • imaginne
  • imagnie
  • imaigne
  • imgaine
  • immagine
  • miagine

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of imagine - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

iamgine2imaggine1imagien2imaginne1imagnie2imaigne2imgaine2immagine1
Edit distance from "imagine"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "imagine"?
"imagine" is spelled I-M-A-G-I-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪˈmæd͡ʒ.ɪn/.
What does "imagine" mean?
As a verb, "imagine" means: To form a mental image of something; to envision or create something in one's mind.
What words are commonly confused with "imagine"?
"imagine" is commonly confused with "imagined", "imagines", "image". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "imagine"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "imagine" is /ɪˈmæd͡ʒ.ɪn/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "imagine"?
From Middle English ymagynen, from Middle French imaginer, from Latin imāginor, from imāginem, the accusative singular of imāgō (“a copy, likeness, image”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "imagine", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

clearly#1,265awesome#1,261protect#1,283weekend#1,257

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

impact9 variantslatest9 variantssecret9 variantswonder9 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "imagine". Here's where to go from here.

  • "imagine" maps to 3 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "imagined". View pair
  • 9 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #1,272 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "I" letter cohort. I–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list