impediment

/ɪmˈpɛdɪmənt/

//ɪmˈpɛdɪmənt// noun

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

"impediment" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“impediment” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #27,175. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#27,175
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A hindrance; that which impedes or obstructs progress; impedance.

Corpus desk

Index EN-impediment · impediment · English

impediment · rank #27,175 · 15 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #27,175
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH HRC

Nearest frequency peer: HRC (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “impediment”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “impediment” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for impediment
PropertyValue
Headwordimpediment
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪmˈpɛdɪmənt/
Letters10
Frequency rank#27,175
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “impediment” 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).impedimentlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “HRC” (#27,174), “importation” (#27,176), “hotspur” (#27,173). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around impediment (IPA /ɪmˈpɛdɪmənt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #27,175 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for impediment, with forms such as "imepdiment", "immpediment", and "impdeiment". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English impediment, borrowed from Latin impedimentum. The correct English form is impediment, spelled I-M-P-E-D-I-M-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A hindrance; that which impedes or obstructs progress; impedance.
  2. 2
    A disability, especially one affecting the hearing or speech.
  3. 3
    Baggage, especially that of an army; impedimenta.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I require and charge you (as you will aunswere at the dreadefull daye of iudgemente, when the secretes of all hartes shalbee disclosed) that if either of you doe knowe any impedimente why ye maie not bee lawfully ioyned together in matrimonie, that ye confesse it.
  2. Thus far into the bowels of the land Have we marched on without impediment.

Etymology

From Middle English impediment, borrowed from Latin impedimentum.

Synonyms

hindranceobstructionobstacle

This word in other languages

estorbo(Español)empêchement(Français)Hindernis(Deutsch)impedimento(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • imepdiment
  • immpediment
  • impdeiment
  • impeddiment
  • impediemnt
  • impedimennt
  • impedimentt
  • impedimetn
  • impedimment
  • impedimnet
  • impedmient
  • impeidment
  • imppediment
  • ipmediment
  • mipediment

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

imepdiment2immpediment1impdeiment2impeddiment1impediemnt2impedimennt1impedimentt1impedimetn2
Edit distance from "impediment"

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 "impediment"?
"impediment" is spelled I-M-P-E-D-I-M-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪmˈpɛdɪmənt/.
What does "impediment" mean?
As a noun, "impediment" means: A hindrance; that which impedes or obstructs progress; impedance.
What are common misspellings of "impediment"?
Common misspellings include "imepdiment", "immpediment", "impdeiment", "impeddiment", "impediemnt". The correct spelling is "impediment".
How do you pronounce "impediment"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "impediment" is /ɪmˈpɛdɪmənt/. 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 "impediment"?
From Middle English impediment, borrowed from Latin impedimentum. 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 "impediment", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

inactivity#27,177incendiary#27,178fractional#27,152liturgical#27,199

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

delicately15 variantsdefenseless15 variantsconvoluted15 variantscompendium15 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "impediment". Here's where to go from here.

  • 15 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #27,175 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "I" letter cohort. I–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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