implode

verb

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

"implode" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“implode” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #41,688. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#41,688
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To collapse or burst inward violently.

Corpus desk

Index EN-implode · implode · English

implode · rank #41,688 · 10 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #41,688
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH inane

Nearest frequency peer: inane (+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 “implode”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “implode” 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).

implode vs impose
71% similar
implode vs improve
71% similar
implode vs implore
86% similar

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

Key facts for implode
PropertyValue
Headwordimplode
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
Letters7
Frequency rank#41,688
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “implode”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).implodelands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “inane” (#41,689), “Immanuel” (#41,686), “industrialisation” (#41,690). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “implode” is #41,688. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around implode, averb. Corpus frequency is #41,688 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for implode, with forms such as "imlpode", "immplode", and "impldoe". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "impose", "improve", "implore", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Back-formation from implosion. The correct English form is implode, spelled I-M-P-L-O-D-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To collapse or burst inward violently.
  2. 2
    To collapse or burst inward violently.
  3. 3
    To cause to collapse or burst inward violently.
  4. 4
    The opposite of explode, array to string conversion.
  5. 5
    To compress (data) with a particular algorithm.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The submarine imploded as it sank below its crush depth.
  2. Ragusa's campaign imploded after she confused coal mining with oil drilling during a speech.

Etymology

Back-formation from implosion.

This word in other languages

implosionar(Español)imploser(Français)implodieren(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • imlpode
  • immplode
  • impldoe
  • impllode
  • implodde
  • imploed
  • impolde
  • impplode
  • ipmlode
  • miplode

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

imlpode2immplode1impldoe2impllode1implodde1imploed2impolde2impplode1
Edit distance from "implode"

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 "implode"?
"implode" is spelled I-M-P-L-O-D-E.
What does "implode" mean?
As a verb, "implode" means: To collapse or burst inward violently.
What words are commonly confused with "implode"?
"implode" is commonly confused with "impose", "improve", "implore". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
What is the origin of the word "implode"?
Back-formation from implosion. 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 "implode", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

inshore#41,692hounded#41,680Holborn#41,673Helmand#41,668

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

irritant10 variantsKelowna10 variantsHalliwell10 variantsHadrian10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list