imbalance

noun

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

The verdict

“imbalance” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #15,835 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#15,835
frequency rank, English
9
letters
14
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The property of not being in balance.

Key facts for imbalance
PropertyValue
Headwordimbalance
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters9
Frequency rank#15,835
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “imbalance” 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). imbalance lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for imbalance is 9 letters long, classified as a noun. Corpus data places it at rank #15,835 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "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.

Etymology

From im- + balance.

This word in other languages

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.

Using “imbalance”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is I-M-B-A-L-A-N-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list