impel
/ɪmˈpɛl/verb
impel is spelled I-M-P-E-L: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 62,179th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). People search “compel vs impel” about 1,300 times a month (Google, United States). As a verb, impel means “To urge a person; to press on; to incite to action or motion via intrinsic motivation” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in impel?
| Letters | 5: I-M-P-E-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 4 million words; the 62,179th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Pairs people search | |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is impel?
Impel appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 62,179th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce impel?
- US /ɪmˈpɛl/
Impel has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-impel.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with impel
Word pairs people search, with the monthly searches for “a vs b” (G: Google, B: Bing, United States).
Sources: Google and Bing searches (September 2025 to August 2026, through DataForSEO); English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What rhymes with impel?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as impel from its last stressed vowel (/ɛl/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of impel
- impels present, singular, he/she/it
- impelling participle, present
- impelled participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does impel mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To urge a person; to press on; to incite to action or motion via intrinsic motivation.
- 2
To drive forward; to propel an object, to provide an impetus for motion or action.
The wind impelled the kayaks toward the shore.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Impel in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | motiver, inciter, pousser , propulser, éjecter |
| German | antreiben, vorantreiben, treiben, nötigen |
| Portuguese | impelir |
| Spanish | impeler, impulsar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does impel come from?
From Middle English impellen, borrowed from Latin impellō.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).