impersonate

/ɪmˈpɜːsəneɪt/

//ɪmˈpɜːsəneɪt// verb

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

"impersonate" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“impersonate” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #39,362. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#39,362
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
16
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To pretend to be (a different person); to assume the identity of, especially when there is an intent to deceive.

Corpus desk

Index EN-impersonate · impersonate · English

impersonate · rank #39,362 · 16 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #39,362
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH impropriety

Nearest frequency peer: impropriety (+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 “impersonate”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “impersonate” 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).

impersonate vs impersonator
83% similar
impersonate vs impersonal
82% similar

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

Key facts for impersonate
PropertyValue
Headwordimpersonate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪmˈpɜːsəneɪt/
Letters11
Frequency rank#39,362
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “impersonate”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).impersonatelands 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 “impropriety” (#39,363), “ILS” (#39,360), “inactivation” (#39,364). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “impersonate” is #39,362. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around impersonate (IPA /ɪmˈpɜːsəneɪt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #39,362 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for impersonate, with forms such as "imeprsonate", "immpersonate", and "imperosnate". 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. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "impersonator", "impersonal", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From im- + person (verb-forming suffix) + -ate. The correct English form is impersonate, spelled I-M-P-E-R-S-O-N-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To pretend to be (a different person); to assume the identity of, especially when there is an intent to deceive.
  2. 2
    To operate with the permissions of a different user account.
  3. 3
    To manifest in corporeal form; to personify.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The conman managed to impersonate several executives.
  2. Evil can and will always impersonate goodness.

Etymology

From im- + person (verb-forming suffix) + -ate.

This word in other languages

copiar(Español)imiter(Français)nachahmen(Deutsch)imitar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • imeprsonate
  • immpersonate
  • imperosnate
  • imperrsonate
  • impersnoate
  • impersoante
  • impersonaet
  • impersonatte
  • impersonnate
  • impersontae
  • imperssonate
  • impesronate
  • imppersonate
  • impresonate
  • ipmersonate
  • mipersonate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

imeprsonate2immpersonate1imperosnate2imperrsonate1impersnoate2impersoante2impersonaet2impersonatte1
Edit distance from "impersonate"

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 "impersonate"?
"impersonate" is spelled I-M-P-E-R-S-O-N-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪmˈpɜːsəneɪt/.
What does "impersonate" mean?
As a verb, "impersonate" means: To pretend to be (a different person); to assume the identity of, especially when there is an intent to deceive.
What words are commonly confused with "impersonate"?
"impersonate" is commonly confused with "impersonator", "impersonal". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "impersonate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "impersonate" is /ɪmˈpɜːsəneɪt/. 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 "impersonate"?
From im- + person (verb-forming suffix) + -ate. 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 "impersonate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

impropriety#39,363Hamiltonian#39,345gentlemen's#39,336Francophone#39,328

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (16 here; floor ≥5).

Maastricht16 variantsegotistical16 variantscreationism16 variantschangeable16 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list