impale

/ɪmˈpeɪl/

//ɪmˈpeɪl// verb

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

"impale" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“impale” is uncommon English (frequency #73,291 among 2,140 “I” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#73,291
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To pierce (something) with any long, pointed object.

Corpus desk

Index EN-impale · impale · English

impale · rank #73,291 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #73,291
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH immunofluores…

Nearest frequency peer: immunofluorescence (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “impale”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “impale” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for impale
PropertyValue
Headwordimpale
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪmˈpeɪl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#73,291
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “impale” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).impalefalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “immunofluorescence” (#73,290), “impoundment” (#73,292), “incisor” (#73,293). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “impale” is #73,291. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

impale is uncommon English at frequency #73,291 among 2,140 “I” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ɪmˈpeɪl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for impale in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French, from Medieval Latin impālāre, from Latin palus, whence also pale. The correct English form is impale, spelled I-M-P-A-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To pierce (something) with any long, pointed object.
  2. 2
    To place two coats of arms side by side on the same shield (often those of two spouses upon marriage).
  3. 3
    To pierce with a pale; to put to death by fixing on a sharp stake.
  4. 4
    To enclose or fence with stakes.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. [T]he Tovvne is impailed about halfe a mile compaſſe.

Etymology

From Middle French, from Medieval Latin impālāre, from Latin palus, whence also pale.

Synonyms

fixstakestickrun throughtransfixpalepalisadepicketempierceimpalepierceprickpuncturetranspierce

This word in other languages

empalar(Español)empaler(Français)pfählen(Deutsch)empalar(Português)

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 "impale"?
"impale" is spelled I-M-P-A-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪmˈpeɪl/.
What does "impale" mean?
As a verb, "impale" means: To pierce (something) with any long, pointed object.
How do you pronounce "impale"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "impale" is /ɪmˈpeɪl/. 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 "impale"?
From Middle French, from Medieval Latin impālāre, from Latin palus, whence also pale. 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 "impale", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Ibarra#73,283holing#73,268jojoba#73,323jostle#73,326

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list