impostor

/ɪmˈpɒstə/

//ɪmˈpɒstə// noun

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

"impostor" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“impostor” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #37,041. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#37,041
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Someone who attempts to deceive by using an assumed name or identity.

Corpus desk

Index EN-impostor · impostor · English

impostor · rank #37,041 · 12 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #37,041
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH incensed

Nearest frequency peer: incensed (+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 “impostor”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “impostor” 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).

impostor vs importer
75% similar
impostor vs imposter
88% similar

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

Key facts for impostor
PropertyValue
Headwordimpostor
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪmˈpɒstə/
Letters8
Frequency rank#37,041
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “impostor”

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).impostorlands 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 “incensed” (#37,042), “immaturity” (#37,039), “inclement” (#37,043). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “impostor” is #37,041. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around impostor (IPA /ɪmˈpɒstə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #37,041 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for impostor, with forms such as "immpostor", "imopstor", and "imposotr". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "importer", "imposter", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French imposteur, respelled in the Latin manner; ultimately from Latin impositor, agent form of Latin imponere (“to impose”). The correct English form is impostor, spelled I-M-P-O-S-T-O-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Someone who attempts to deceive by using an assumed name or identity.
  2. 2
    A sprite or animation integrated into a three-dimensional scene to look like part of the 3D world.
  3. 3
    A term referenced in an unusual grammatical person.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. "It were dishonour in me to yield. I will not play the part of an impostor, whom my uncle must despise even while he screens. No; these estates are his right: let him take them; I will not buy them with his daughter's hand."
  2. Then again these figures take no account of the thousands of beggars who travel free in India. Many of these are religious "Sadhus", dressed often in nothing but a loin-cloth, or even less, and their bodies smeared with ashes. A large number of these men are nothing but impostors, but the Hindu railway staff usually are afraid to interfere with them.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French imposteur, respelled in the Latin manner; ultimately from Latin impositor, agent form of Latin imponere (“to impose”).

Synonyms

impersonator

This word in other languages

impostor(Español)imposteur(Français)Hochstapler(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • immpostor
  • imopstor
  • imposotr
  • imposstor
  • impostorr
  • impostro
  • imposttor
  • impotsor
  • imppostor
  • impsotor
  • ipmostor
  • mipostor

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

immpostor1imopstor2imposotr2imposstor1impostorr1impostro2imposttor1impotsor2
Edit distance from "impostor"

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 "impostor"?
"impostor" is spelled I-M-P-O-S-T-O-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪmˈpɒstə/.
What does "impostor" mean?
As a noun, "impostor" means: Someone who attempts to deceive by using an assumed name or identity.
What words are commonly confused with "impostor"?
"impostor" is commonly confused with "importer", "imposter". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "impostor"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "impostor" is /ɪmˈpɒstə/. 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 "impostor"?
Borrowed from Middle French imposteur, respelled in the Latin manner; ultimately from Latin impositor, agent form of Latin imponere (“to impose”). 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 "impostor", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

incensed#37,042kilowatt#37,056hardback#37,020lavishly#37,064

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

Krystal12 variantslaborious12 variantsliquidate12 variantsGretzky12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list