impede

/ɪmˈpiːd/

//ɪmˈpiːd// verb

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

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

The verdict

“impede” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #24,197. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#24,197
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To get in the way of; to hinder.

Corpus desk

Index EN-impede · impede · English

impede · rank #24,197 · 8 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #24,197
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH idealistic

Nearest frequency peer: idealistic (-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 “impede”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “impede” 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).

impede vs impose
67% similar
impede vs impure
67% similar
impede vs implode
71% similar

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

Key facts for impede
PropertyValue
Headwordimpede
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪmˈpiːd/
Letters6
Frequency rank#24,197
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “impede”

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).impedelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “idealistic” (#24,196), “imperialist” (#24,198), “ide” (#24,195). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “impede” is #24,197. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around impede (IPA /ɪmˈpiːd/), averb. Corpus frequency is #24,197 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Dominant gloss: "To get in the way of; to hinder.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for impede, with forms such as "imepde", "immpede", and "impdee". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "impose", "impure", "implode", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin impediō (“to shackle”), from pēs (“foot”) (compare pedestrian). First attested use as a verb was in William Shakespeare's Macbeth, see quotations. The correct English form is impede, spelled I-M-P-E-D-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To get in the way of; to hinder.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. impede someone's progress
  2. That I may powre my Spirits in thine Eare, / And chastise with the valour of my Tongue / All that impeides thee from the Golden Round, / Which Fate and Metaphysicall ayde doth seeme / To haue thee crown'd withall.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin impediō (“to shackle”), from pēs (“foot”) (compare pedestrian). First attested use as a verb was in William Shakespeare's Macbeth, see quotations.

Synonyms

hinder

Antonyms

assisthelpexpedeexpedite

This word in other languages

impedir(Español)entraver(Français)behindern(Deutsch)impedir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • imepde
  • immpede
  • impdee
  • impedde
  • impeed
  • imppede
  • ipmede
  • mipede

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of impede - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

imepde2immpede1impdee2impedde1impeed2imppede1ipmede2mipede2
Edit distance from "impede"

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 "impede"?
"impede" is spelled I-M-P-E-D-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪmˈpiːd/.
What does "impede" mean?
As a verb, "impede" means: To get in the way of; to hinder.
What words are commonly confused with "impede"?
"impede" is commonly confused with "impose", "impure", "implode". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "impede"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "impede" is /ɪmˈpiːd/. 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 "impede"?
Borrowed from Latin impediō (“to shackle”), from pēs (“foot”) (compare pedestrian). First attested use as a verb was in William Shakespeare's Macbeth, see quotations. 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 "impede", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Hollis#24,189grouse#24,178Louvre#24,226Mohawk#24,243

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

hurried8 variantsgrowl8 variantsGrady8 variantsLucille8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list