impression
/ɪmˈpɹɛʃn̩/noun, verb
impression is spelled I-M-P-R-E-S-S-I-O-N: 10 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 22 times per million words in written English, the 3,939th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, impression means “The indentation or depression made by the pressure of one object on or into another” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of impression is impressions.
How many letters and syllables are in impression?
| Letters | 10: I-M-P-R-E-S-S-I-O-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 22 times per million words; the 3,939th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; 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 impression?
Impression appears 22 times per million words in written English, the 3,939th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce impression?
- /ɪmˈpɹɛʃn̩/
Impression has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-impression.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with impression?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as impression.
Spelled with the same letters in another order: permission.
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 impression
- impressions plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- impressioning participle, present
- impressioned participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does impression mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The indentation or depression made by the pressure of one object on or into another.
His head made an impression on the pillow.
- 2
The overall effect of something, e.g., on a person.
He tried to make a good impression on his parents.
- 3
A vague recalling of an event, a belief.
I have the impression that he's already left for Paris.
- 4
An impersonation, an imitation of the mannerisms of another person.
- 5
An outward appearance.
- 6
A performance metric representing an instance where a post or ad is shown once.
- 7
The first coat of colour, such as the priming in house-painting etc.
- 8
A print on paper from a wood block, metal plate, etc.
verb
- 1
To manipulate a blank key within a lock so as to mark it with impressions of the shape of the lock, which facilitates creation of a duplicate key.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate impression?
Wiktionary records 2 abbreviations of impression: imp., impresh.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Impression in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | Abdruck , Eindruck, Impression , Werbeeinblendung, Einblendung |
| Portuguese | impressão , imitação |
| French | impression |
| Spanish | impresión, sensación, impronta, sentar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does impression come from?
From Old French impression, from Latin impressio. Equivalent to impress + -ion.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).