impose

/ɪmˈpəʊz/

//ɪmˈpəʊz// verb

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

"impose" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“impose” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #8,047. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#8,047
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To physically lay or place (something) on another thing; to deposit, to put, to set.

Corpus desk

Index EN-impose · impose · English

impose · rank #8,047 · 8 variants · 10 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #8,047
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 10 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH illustration

Nearest frequency peer: illustration (-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 “impose”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “impose” 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).

impose vs impure
67% similar
impose vs improve
71% similar
impose vs imposed
86% similar

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

Key facts for impose
PropertyValue
Headwordimpose
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪmˈpəʊz/
Letters6
Frequency rank#8,047
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs10
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “impose”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).imposelands 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 “illustration” (#8,046), “indicator” (#8,048), “hooked” (#8,045). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “impose” is #8,047. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around impose (IPA /ɪmˈpəʊz/), averb. Corpus frequency is #8,047 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for impose, with forms such as "immpose", "imopse", and "impoes". 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 10 confusable-pair relationships, "impure", "improve", "imposed", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: The verb is derived from Late Middle English imposen (“to place, set; to impose (a duty, etc.)”), borrowed from Middle French imposer, and Old French emposer, enposer (“to impose (a duty, tax, etc.)”) (modern French imposer), from im-, em- (variants of en- … The correct English form is impose, spelled I-M-P-O-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To physically lay or place (something) on another thing; to deposit, to put, to set.
  2. 2
    To physically lay or place (something) on another thing; to deposit, to put, to set.
  3. 3
    To physically lay or place (something) on another thing; to deposit, to put, to set.
  4. 4
    To apply, enforce, or establish (something, often regarded as burdensome as a restriction or tax: see verb sense 1.2.1) with authority.
  5. 5
    Chiefly followed by on or upon.
  6. 6
    Chiefly followed by on or upon.
  7. 7
    Chiefly followed by on or upon.
  8. 8
    Chiefly followed by on or upon.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. [H]is Svvaine / Strevv'd faire greene Oſiers; and impoſ'd thereon / A good ſoft Sheepeskin, vvhich made him a Throne.
  2. It vvas here likevviſe, in a place vvhere the diſtance betvveen the oppoſite banks cannot exceed five hundred paces, that Xerxes impoſed a ſtupendous bridge of boats, for the purpoſe of tranſporting into Europe an hundred and ſeventy myriads of barbarians.

Etymology

The verb is derived from Late Middle English imposen (“to place, set; to impose (a duty, etc.)”), borrowed from Middle French imposer, and Old French emposer, enposer (“to impose (a duty, tax, etc.)”) (modern French imposer), from im-, em- (variants of en- (prefix meaning ‘in, into’)) + poser (“to place, put”), modelled after: * Latin impōnere (“to place or set (something) on; (figurative) to impose (a duty, tax, etc.)”), from im- (variant of in- (prefix meaning ‘on, upon’)) + pōnō (“to place, put; etc.”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂pó, *h₂epó (“away; off”) + *tḱey- (“to cultivate; to live; to settle”)); and * Latin impositus (“established; put upon, imposed”), the perfect passive participle of impōnō: see above. The noun is derived from the verb.

Synonyms

enjoinforceinflictlay

This word in other languages

imponer(Español)imposer(Français)auferlegen(Deutsch)impor(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • immpose
  • imopse
  • impoes
  • imposse
  • imppose
  • impsoe
  • ipmose
  • mipose

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

immpose1imopse2impoes2imposse1imppose1impsoe2ipmose2mipose2
Edit distance from "impose"

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 "impose"?
"impose" is spelled I-M-P-O-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪmˈpəʊz/.
What does "impose" mean?
As a verb, "impose" means: To physically lay or place (something) on another thing; to deposit, to put, to set.
What words are commonly confused with "impose"?
"impose" is commonly confused with "impure", "improve", "imposed". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "impose"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "impose" is /ɪmˈpəʊz/. 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 "impose"?
The verb is derived from Late Middle English imposen (“to place, set; to impose (a duty, etc.)”), borrowed from Middle French imposer, and Old French emposer, enposer (“to impose (a duty, tax, etc.)”) (modern French imposer), from im-, em- (varian... 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 "impose", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

hooked#8,045heroin#8,043Joshua#8,054garlic#8,039

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

fierce8 variantslounge8 variantsexceed8 variantspolite8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list