impedance

[ɪmˈpiːdn̩s]

/[ɪmˈpiːdn̩s]/ noun

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

The verdict

“impedance” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #23,867 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#23,867
frequency rank, English
9
letters
14
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of impeding; that which impedes; a hindrance.

Key facts for impedance
PropertyValue
Headwordimpedance
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ɪmˈpiːdn̩s]
Letters9
Frequency rank#23,867
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “impedance” 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). impedance 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 impedance is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ɪmˈpiːdn̩s]. Corpus data places it at rank #23,867 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for impedance, with forms such as "imepdance", "immpedance", and "impdeance". 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. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From impede + -ance. In sense 2 and sense 3 it was coined by English mathematician and physicist Oliver Heaviside in 1886. The correct English form is impedance, spelled I-M-P-E-D-A-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of impeding; that which impedes; a hindrance.
  2. 2
    A measure of the opposition to the flow of an alternating current in a circuit; the aggregation of its resistance, and inductive and capacitive reactances; the ratio of voltage to current treated as complex quantities.
  3. 3
    A quantity analogous to electrical impedance in some other energy domain
  4. 4
    A quantity analogous to electrical impedance in some other energy domain

Etymology

From impede + -ance. In sense 2 and sense 3 it was coined by English mathematician and physicist Oliver Heaviside in 1886.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: imepdance,immpedance,impdeance,impeadnce,impedacne,impedancce,impedanec,impedannce,impeddance,impedence,impednace,imppedance,ipmedance,mipedance

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

imepdance2immpedance1impdeance2impeadnce2impedacne2impedancce1impedanec2impedannce1
Edit distance from "impedance"

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 "impedance"?
"impedance" is spelled I-M-P-E-D-A-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is [ɪmˈpiːdn̩s].
What does "impedance" mean?
As a noun, "impedance" means: The act of impeding; that which impedes; a hindrance.
What are common misspellings of "impedance"?
Common misspellings include "imepdance", "immpedance", "impdeance", "impeadnce", "impedacne". The correct spelling is "impedance".
How do you pronounce "impedance"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "impedance" is [ɪmˈpiːdn̩s]. 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 "impedance"?
From impede + -ance. In sense 2 and sense 3 it was coined by English mathematician and physicist Oliver Heaviside in 1886. 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 “impedance”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is I-M-P-E-D-A-N-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ɪmˈpiːdn̩s] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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