importune
/ɪmpɔːˈtjuːn/
"importune" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“importune” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 9
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To bother, irritate, trouble.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | importune |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /ɪmpɔːˈtjuːn/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “importune” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
importune is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /ɪmpɔːˈtjuːn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.
The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for importune, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French importuner and its etymon Medieval Latin importūnor (“to make oneself troublesome”), from Latin importūnus (“unfit, troublesome”), originally "having no harbor". The correct English form is importune, spelled I-M-P-O-R-T-U-N-E.
Definition
- 1To bother, irritate, trouble.
- 2To harass with persistent requests.
- 3To approach to offer one's services as a prostitute, or otherwise make improper proposals.
- 4To import; to signify.
Etymology
From Middle French importuner and its etymon Medieval Latin importūnor (“to make oneself troublesome”), from Latin importūnus (“unfit, troublesome”), originally "having no harbor".
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “importune”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is I-M-P-O-R-T-U-N-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ɪmpɔːˈtjuːn/ (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.