imperial

/ɪmˈpɪə.ɹi.əl/

//ɪmˈpɪə.ɹi.əl// adj

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

"imperial" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“imperial” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,054 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#5,054
frequency rank, English
8
letters
11
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Related to an empire, emperor, or empress.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

imperial vs imperium
75% similar
imperial vs impartial
78% similar

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

Key facts for imperial
PropertyValue
Headwordimperial
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɪmˈpɪə.ɹi.əl/
Letters8
Frequency rank#5,054
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “imperial” 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). imperial lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for imperial is 8 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɪmˈpɪə.ɹi.əl/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,054 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for imperial, with forms such as "imeprial", "immperial", and "impeiral". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "imperium", "impartial", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English imperial, from Old French imperial, from Latin imperiālis (“of the empire or emperor, imperial”), from imperium (“empire, imperial government”) + -ālis, from imperō (“command, order”), from im- (“form of in”) + parō (“prepare, arrange; i… The correct English form is imperial, spelled I-M-P-E-R-I-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Related to an empire, emperor, or empress.
  2. 2
    Relating to the British imperial system of measurement.
  3. 3
    Very grand or fine.
  4. 4
    Of special, superior, or unusual size or excellence.
  5. 5
    Stronger than typical. (Derived from the name of Russian Imperial stout, a strong dark beer.)

Etymology

From Middle English imperial, from Old French imperial, from Latin imperiālis (“of the empire or emperor, imperial”), from imperium (“empire, imperial government”) + -ālis, from imperō (“command, order”), from im- (“form of in”) + parō (“prepare, arrange; intend”). Displaced Old English cāserlīċ.

Synonyms

in old money

This word in other languages

imperial(Español)impérial(Français)kaiserlich(Deutsch)imperial(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: imeprial,immperial,impeiral,imperail,imperiall,imperila,imperrial,impperial,impreial,ipmerial,miperial

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of imperial - 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.

imeprial2immperial1impeiral2imperail2imperiall1imperila2imperrial1impperial1
Edit distance from "imperial"

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 "imperial"?
"imperial" is spelled I-M-P-E-R-I-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪmˈpɪə.ɹi.əl/.
What does "imperial" mean?
As an adjective, "imperial" means: Related to an empire, emperor, or empress.
What words are commonly confused with "imperial"?
"imperial" is commonly confused with "imperium", "impartial". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "imperial"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "imperial" is /ɪmˈpɪə.ɹi.əl/. 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 "imperial"?
From Middle English imperial, from Old French imperial, from Latin imperiālis (“of the empire or emperor, imperial”), from imperium (“empire, imperial government”) + -ālis, from imperō (“command, order”), from im- (“form of in”) + parō (“prepare, ... 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.

Using “imperial”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is I-M-P-E-R-I-A-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɪmˈpɪə.ɹi.əl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “imperium” - see the side-by-side comparison. imperial vs imperium
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list