impulse

/ˈɪmpʌls/

//ˈɪmpʌls// noun

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

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

The verdict

“impulse” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #10,866. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#10,866
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A thrust; a push; a sudden force that impels.

Corpus desk

Index EN-impulse · impulse · English

impulse · rank #10,866 · 10 variants · 5 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #10,866
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 5 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH hydraulic

Nearest frequency peer: hydraulic (-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 “impulse”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “impulse” 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).

impulse vs impure
71% similar
impulse vs impulses
88% similar
impulse vs impulsive
78% similar

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

Key facts for impulse
PropertyValue
Headwordimpulse
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɪmpʌls/
Letters7
Frequency rank#10,866
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “impulse”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).impulselands 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 “hydraulic” (#10,865), “incapable” (#10,867), “hulk” (#10,864). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “impulse” is #10,866. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around impulse (IPA /ˈɪmpʌls/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #10,866 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 impulse, with forms such as "immpulse", "impluse", and "imppulse". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "impure", "impulses", "impulsive", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French impulser, from Latin impulsus. For spelling, as in pulse, the -e (on -lse) is so the end is pronounced /ls/, rather than /lz/ as in pulls, and does not change the vowel (‘u’). Compare else, false, convulse. The correct English form is impulse, spelled I-M-P-U-L-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A thrust; a push; a sudden force that impels.
  2. 2
    A wish or urge, particularly a sudden one prompting action.
  3. 3
    The integral of force over time.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. c. 1715-1716, Samuel Clarke, letter to Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz All spontaneous animal motion is performed by mechanical impulse.
  2. The impulse to learn drove me to study night and day.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French impulser, from Latin impulsus. For spelling, as in pulse, the -e (on -lse) is so the end is pronounced /ls/, rather than /lz/ as in pulls, and does not change the vowel (‘u’). Compare else, false, convulse.

This word in other languages

impulso(Español)impulsion(Français)Impuls(Deutsch)impulso(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • immpulse
  • impluse
  • imppulse
  • impules
  • impullse
  • impulsse
  • impusle
  • imuplse
  • ipmulse
  • mipulse

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

immpulse1impluse2imppulse1impules2impullse1impulsse1impusle2imuplse2
Edit distance from "impulse"

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 "impulse"?
"impulse" is spelled I-M-P-U-L-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɪmpʌls/.
What does "impulse" mean?
As a noun, "impulse" means: A thrust; a push; a sudden force that impels.
What words are commonly confused with "impulse"?
"impulse" is commonly confused with "impure", "impulses", "impulsive". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "impulse"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "impulse" is /ˈɪmpʌls/. 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 "impulse"?
Borrowed from Middle French impulser, from Latin impulsus. For spelling, as in pulse, the -e (on -lse) is so the end is pronounced /ls/, rather than /lz/ as in pulls, and does not change the vowel (‘u’). Compare else, false, convulse. 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 "impulse", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

heavens#10,861hallway#10,859guessed#10,857Marilyn#10,883

Similar misspelling depth

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

natives10 variantsclicks10 variantsquoting10 variantsraining10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list