imminent

/ˈɪmɪnənt/

//ˈɪmɪnənt// adj

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

"imminent" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“imminent” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #11,724. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#11,724
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
10
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - About to happen, occur, or take place very soon, especially of something which won't last long.

Corpus desk

Index EN-imminent · imminent · English

imminent · rank #11,724 · 10 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #11,724
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH illnesses

Nearest frequency peer: illnesses (-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 “imminent”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “imminent” 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 imminent
PropertyValue
Headwordimminent
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈɪmɪnənt/
Letters8
Frequency rank#11,724
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “imminent”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).imminentlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “illnesses” (#11,723), “inaugural” (#11,725), “honourable” (#11,722). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “imminent” is #11,724. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around imminent (IPA /ˈɪmɪnənt/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #11,724 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Dominant gloss: "About to happen, occur, or take place very soon, especially of something which won't last long.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for imminent, with forms such as "imimnent", "iminent", and "immiennt". 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. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From the present participle of Latin imminēre (“to overhang”), from mineō ("to project, overhang"), related to minae (English menace) and mons (English mount). Compare with eminent. The correct English form is imminent, spelled I-M-M-I-N-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    About to happen, occur, or take place very soon, especially of something which won't last long.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. To courageous, self-reliant men, with confidence in the power of free and fearless reasoning applied through the processes of popular government, no danger flowing from speech can be deemed clear and present unless the incidence of the evil apprehended is so imminent that it may befall before there is opportunity for full discussion.
  2. The Second World War was reaching fever pitch, with the entire Allied effort in top gear for the imminent invasion of Europe, while later that month buzz bombs would start falling on London.

Etymology

From the present participle of Latin imminēre (“to overhang”), from mineō ("to project, overhang"), related to minae (English menace) and mons (English mount). Compare with eminent.

Synonyms

inevitableimmediateimpending

This word in other languages

inminente(Español)imminent(Français)bevorstehend(Deutsch)iminente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • imimnent
  • iminent
  • immiennt
  • imminennt
  • imminentt
  • imminetn
  • imminnent
  • imminnet
  • immnient
  • miminent

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

imimnent2iminent1immiennt2imminennt1imminentt1imminetn2imminnent1imminnet2
Edit distance from "imminent"

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 "imminent"?
"imminent" is spelled I-M-M-I-N-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɪmɪnənt/.
What does "imminent" mean?
As an adjective, "imminent" means: About to happen, occur, or take place very soon, especially of something which won't last long.
What are common misspellings of "imminent"?
Common misspellings include "imimnent", "iminent", "immiennt", "imminennt", "imminentt". The correct spelling is "imminent".
How do you pronounce "imminent"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "imminent" is /ˈɪmɪnənt/. 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 "imminent"?
From the present participle of Latin imminēre (“to overhang”), from mineō ("to project, overhang"), related to minae (English menace) and mons (English mount). Compare with eminent. 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 "imminent", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

locality#11,737goodwill#11,708mattress#11,740Meredith#11,741

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

illnesses10 variantsJakarta10 variantsgradual10 variantsgladly10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list