impending

/ɪmˈpɛndɪŋ/

//ɪmˈpɛndɪŋ// adj

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

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

The verdict

“impending” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #14,341. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#14,341
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Approaching; drawing near; about to happen or expected to happen.

Corpus desk

Index EN-impending · impending · English

impending · rank #14,341 · 14 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #14,341
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH IMF

Nearest frequency peer: IMF (-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 “impending”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “impending” 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).

impending vs intending
78% similar

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

Key facts for impending
PropertyValue
Headwordimpending
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɪmˈpɛndɪŋ/
Letters9
Frequency rank#14,341
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “impending”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).impendinglands 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 “IMF” (#14,340), “insignificant” (#14,342), “hoax” (#14,339). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “impending” is #14,341. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around impending (IPA /ɪmˈpɛndɪŋ/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #14,341 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Approaching; drawing near; about to happen or expected to happen.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for impending, with forms such as "imepnding", "immpending", and "impedning". 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, "intending", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From impend + -ing. The correct English form is impending, spelled I-M-P-E-N-D-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    Approaching; drawing near; about to happen or expected to happen.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I have no time right now because of an impending paper submission deadline.
  2. "Keep off Conductor Rails" said red-painted notices at the platform ends, for third-rails were laid in many places even where electric trains never normally ran, and there had been many rumours of impending electrification of the Wirral, as a natural extension of the Mersey system, a quarter of a century before the change was actually made.

Etymology

From impend + -ing.

Synonyms

around the cornerat handforthcomingimminentimpendentimpendingin the offingin the windinstanton the boilpendingupcomingproximateto cometoward

Antonyms

happening

This word in other languages

inminente(Español)imminent(Français)bevorstehend(Deutsch)iminente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • imepnding
  • immpending
  • impedning
  • impendding
  • impendign
  • impendingg
  • impendinng
  • impendnig
  • impenidng
  • impennding
  • impneding
  • imppending
  • ipmending
  • mipending

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of impending - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

imepnding2immpending1impedning2impendding1impendign2impendingg1impendinng1impendnig2
Edit distance from "impending"

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 "impending"?
"impending" is spelled I-M-P-E-N-D-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪmˈpɛndɪŋ/.
What does "impending" mean?
As an adjective, "impending" means: Approaching; drawing near; about to happen or expected to happen.
What words are commonly confused with "impending"?
"impending" is commonly confused with "intending". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "impending"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "impending" is /ɪmˈpɛndɪŋ/. 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 "impending"?
From impend + -ing. 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 "impending", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

liberated#14,351fragrance#14,327flowering#14,325Ferdinand#14,323

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

exploding14 variantscustomary14 variantswatershed14 variantsWilkinson14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list