impose

im·pose/ɪmˈpoʊz/verb

impose is spelled I-M-P-O-S-E: 6 letters and 2 syllables (im·pose). It appears 8.3 times per million words in written English, the 8,036th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, impose means “To apply, enforce, or establish (something, often regarded as burdensome as a restriction or tax: see verb sense 1.2.2) with authority” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in impose?

Letters	6: I-M-P-O-S-E
Syllables	2: im·pose
In writing	8.3 times per million words; the 8,036th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searched	none measured in search
Rhymes with	knows rose clothes suppose more

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.

How common is impose?

Impose appears 8.3 times per million words in written English, the 8,036th most frequent word form in the list.

impose0.0010.010.11101001,00010,000

rarerper million words of written Englishmore common

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce impose?

UK /ɪmˈpəʊz/
US /ɪmˈpoʊz/
Australia /ɪmˈpəʉz/

Impose has 2 syllables, split im·pose in writing.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-impose.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

What rhymes with impose?

The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as impose from its last stressed vowel (/oʊz/):

Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).

Forms of impose

imposes present, singular, he/she/it
imposing participle, present
imposed participle, past, singular, he/she/it, plural

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does impose mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

verb

1
archaicTo physically lay or place (something) on another thing; to deposit, to put, to set.
2
archaicTo lay or place (one's hands) on someone as a blessing, during rites of confirmation, ordination, etc.
3
archaicTo lay (columns or pages of type, or printing plates) arranged in a proper order on the bed of a press or an imposing stone and secure them in a chase in preparation for printing.
4
To apply, enforce, or establish (something, often regarded as burdensome as a restriction or tax: see verb sense 1.2.2) with authority.
Congress imposed new tariffs.
5
To place or put (something chiefly immaterial, especially something regarded as burdensome as a duty, an encumbrance, a penalty, etc.) on another thing or on someone; to inflict, to repose; also, to place or put (on someone a chiefly immaterial thing, especially something regarded as burdensome).
Social relations impose courtesy.
6
To force or put (a thing) on someone or something by deceit or stealth; to foist, to obtrude.
7
UKTo subject (a student) to imposition (“a task inflicted as punishment”).
8
archaicobsoleteTo appoint (someone) to be in authority or command over other people.

noun

1
obsoleteAn act of placing or putting on something chiefly immaterial, especially something regarded as burdensome as a duty, a task, etc.; an imposition.