imbalance

noun

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

"imbalance" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“imbalance” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #15,835. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#15,835
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
14
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The property of not being in balance.

Corpus desk

Index EN-imbalance · imbalance · English

imbalance · rank #15,835 · 14 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #15,835
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH illustrator

Nearest frequency peer: illustrator (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “imbalance”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “imbalance” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for imbalance
PropertyValue
Headwordimbalance
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters9
Frequency rank#15,835
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “imbalance”

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “illustrator” (#15,834), “immoral” (#15,836), “Ida” (#15,833). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “imbalance” is #15,835. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around imbalance, anoun. Corpus frequency is #15,835 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Dominant gloss: "The property of not being in balance.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for imbalance, with forms such as "ibmalance", "imablance", and "imbaalnce". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From im- + balance. The correct English form is imbalance, spelled I-M-B-A-L-A-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The property of not being in balance.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The growing imbalances between the rich and poor first lead to more crime.
  2. Ross Barkley, a second-half substitute, almost marked his debut with a goal but by that stage England were playing at half-pace. A team can do that when the imbalance of talent is this considerable.

Etymology

From im- + balance.

This word in other languages

desequilibrio(Español)déséquilibre(Français)Ungleichgewicht(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ibmalance
  • imablance
  • imbaalnce
  • imbalacne
  • imbalancce
  • imbalanec
  • imbalannce
  • imbalence
  • imballance
  • imbalnace
  • imbbalance
  • imblaance
  • immbalance
  • mibalance

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of imbalance - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ibmalance2imablance2imbaalnce2imbalacne2imbalancce1imbalanec2imbalannce1imbalence1
Edit distance from "imbalance"

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 "imbalance"?
"imbalance" is spelled I-M-B-A-L-A-N-C-E.
What does "imbalance" mean?
As a noun, "imbalance" means: The property of not being in balance.
What are common misspellings of "imbalance"?
Common misspellings include "ibmalance", "imablance", "imbaalnce", "imbalacne", "imbalancce". The correct spelling is "imbalance".
What is the origin of the word "imbalance"?
From im- + balance. 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 "imbalance", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

graphical#15,824extremist#15,814endlessly#15,808digestive#15,800

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

inefficient14 variantshorrifying14 variantsflattering14 variantsdisconnect14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list