improve

/ɪmˈpɹuːv/

//ɪmˈpɹuːv// verb

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

"improve" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“improve” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #1,696. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#1,696
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To make (something) better; to increase the value or productivity (of something).

Corpus desk

Index EN-improve · improve · English

improve · rank #1,696 · 10 variants · 7 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #1,696
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 7 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH handle

Nearest frequency peer: handle (-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 “improve”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “improve” 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).

improve vs improved
88% similar
improve vs improvise
78% similar
improve vs impose
71% similar

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

Key facts for improve
PropertyValue
Headwordimprove
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪmˈpɹuːv/
Letters7
Frequency rank#1,696
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “improve”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).improvelands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “handle” (#1,695), “indeed” (#1,697), “greatest” (#1,694). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “improve” is #1,696. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around improve (IPA /ɪmˈpɹuːv/), averb. Corpus frequency is #1,696 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for improve, with forms such as "immprove", "imporve", and "impprove". 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 7 confusable-pair relationships, "improved", "improvise", "impose", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Anglo-Norman emprouwer, from Old French en- + prou (“profit”), from Vulgar Latin prode (“advantageous, profitable”). The correct English form is improve, spelled I-M-P-R-O-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To make (something) better; to increase the value or productivity (of something).
  2. 2
    To become better.
  3. 3
    To use or employ to good purpose; to turn to profitable account.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Painting the woodwork will improve this house.
  2. Buying more servers would improve performance.

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman emprouwer, from Old French en- + prou (“profit”), from Vulgar Latin prode (“advantageous, profitable”).

Synonyms

amelioratebetterbattenenhanceaprimorate (non-native speakers’ English (chiefly Portuguese))amendhoneimprovemelioraterefineget betterlook up

Antonyms

deteriorateworsendeteriorateaggravatemake matters worsepejorate

This word in other languages

mejorar(Español)améliorer(Français)verbessern(Deutsch)melhorar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • immprove
  • imporve
  • impprove
  • improev
  • improvve
  • imprrove
  • imprvoe
  • imrpove
  • ipmrove
  • miprove

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

immprove1imporve2impprove1improev2improvve1imprrove1imprvoe2imrpove2
Edit distance from "improve"

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 "improve"?
"improve" is spelled I-M-P-R-O-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪmˈpɹuːv/.
What does "improve" mean?
As a verb, "improve" means: To make (something) better; to increase the value or productivity (of something).
What words are commonly confused with "improve"?
"improve" is commonly confused with "improved", "improvise", "impose". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "improve"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "improve" is /ɪmˈpɹuːv/. 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 "improve"?
From Anglo-Norman emprouwer, from Old French en- + prou (“profit”), from Vulgar Latin prode (“advantageous, profitable”). 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 "improve", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

prevent#1,701removed#1,702correct#1,689Richard#1,703

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

Christ10 variantstrouble10 variantseastern10 variantsremains10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list