impeach

/ɪmˈpiːt͡ʃ/

//ɪmˈpiːt͡ʃ// verb

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

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

The verdict

“impeach” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #25,421. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#25,421
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To hinder, impede, or prevent.

Corpus desk

Index EN-impeach · impeach · English

impeach · rank #25,421 · 10 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #25,421
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH improvisation

Nearest frequency peer: improvisation (+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 “impeach”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “impeach” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

impeach vs impact
71% similar

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

Key facts for impeach
PropertyValue
Headwordimpeach
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪmˈpiːt͡ʃ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#25,421
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “impeach”

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).impeachlands 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 “improvisation” (#25,422), “idealism” (#25,419), “hyung” (#25,418). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “impeach” is #25,421. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around impeach (IPA /ɪmˈpiːt͡ʃ/), averb. Corpus frequency is #25,421 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for impeach, with forms such as "imepach", "immpeach", and "impaech". 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. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "impact", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English empechen, borrowed from Anglo-Norman empecher, from Old French empeechier (“to hinder”), from Latin impedicāre (“to fetter”). Cognate with French empêcher (“to prevent”). The correct English form is impeach, spelled I-M-P-E-A-C-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    To hinder, impede, or prevent.
  2. 2
    To bring a legal proceeding against a public official.
  3. 3
    To charge with impropriety; to discredit; to call into question.
  4. 4
    To demonstrate in court that a testimony under oath contradicts another testimony from the same person, usually one taken during deposition.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. These ungracious practices of his sons did impeach his journey to the Holy Land.
  2. I was afraid the same defluxion of Salt Rheum which fell from my Temples into my Throat in Oxford, and distilling upon the Uvula, impeached my Utterance a little to this Day

Etymology

From Middle English empechen, borrowed from Anglo-Norman empecher, from Old French empeechier (“to hinder”), from Latin impedicāre (“to fetter”). Cognate with French empêcher (“to prevent”).

This word in other languages

empêcher(Français)verhindern(Deutsch)impedir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • imepach
  • immpeach
  • impaech
  • impeacch
  • impeachh
  • impeahc
  • impecah
  • imppeach
  • ipmeach
  • mipeach

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

imepach2immpeach1impaech2impeacch1impeachh1impeahc2impecah2imppeach1
Edit distance from "impeach"

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 "impeach"?
"impeach" is spelled I-M-P-E-A-C-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪmˈpiːt͡ʃ/.
What does "impeach" mean?
As a verb, "impeach" means: To hinder, impede, or prevent.
What words are commonly confused with "impeach"?
"impeach" is commonly confused with "impact". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "impeach"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "impeach" is /ɪmˈpiːt͡ʃ/. 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 "impeach"?
From Middle English empechen, borrowed from Anglo-Norman empecher, from Old French empeechier (“to hinder”), from Latin impedicāre (“to fetter”). Cognate with French empêcher (“to prevent”). 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 "impeach", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

ironing#25,429hinting#25,410heathen#25,405Kearney#25,446

Similar misspelling depth

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

Giuliani10 variantsLandry10 variantslexicon10 variantsflimsy10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list