imperfect
/ɪmˈpɜː(ɹ)fɪkt/
"imperfect" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“imperfect” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #16,048 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.
- #16,048
- frequency rank, English
- 9
- letters
- 14
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Not perfect,
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | imperfect |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ɪmˈpɜː(ɹ)fɪkt/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Frequency rank | #16,048 |
| Misspellings tracked | 14 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “imperfect” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for imperfect is 9 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɪmˈpɜː(ɹ)fɪkt/. Corpus data places it at rank #16,048 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 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 imperfect, with forms such as "imeprfect", "immperfect", and "impefrect". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English imperfit, from Old French imparfit (modern French imparfait), from Latin imperfectus. Spelling modified 15c. to conform Latin etymology. See im- + perfect. The correct English form is imperfect, spelled I-M-P-E-R-F-E-C-T.
Definition
- 1Not perfect,
- 2Unisexual: having either male (with stamens) or female (with pistil) flowers, but not with both.
- 3Known or expected to be polyphyletic, as of a form taxon.
- 4Representing a continuing or repeated action.
- 5Lacking some elementary organ that is essential to successful or normal activity.
Etymology
From Middle English imperfit, from Old French imparfit (modern French imparfait), from Latin imperfectus. Spelling modified 15c. to conform Latin etymology. See im- + perfect.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: imeprfect,immperfect,impefrect,imperefct,imperfcet,imperfecct,imperfectt,imperfetc,imperffect,imperrfect,impperfect,imprefect,ipmerfect,miperfect
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of imperfect - 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.
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
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Using “imperfect”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is I-M-P-E-R-F-E-C-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ɪmˈpɜː(ɹ)fɪkt/ (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.