impure
/ɪmˈpjʊə(ɹ)/adjective
impure is spelled I-M-P-U-R-E: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 30,789th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, impure means “Containing undesired intermixtures” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in impure?
| Letters | 6: I-M-P-U-R-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 30,789th 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 impure?
Impure appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 30,789th 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 impure?
- /ɪmˈpjʊə(ɹ)/
Impure has 2 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: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-impure.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with impure?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as impure.
Spelled with the same letters in another order: umpire.
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 impure
- more impure comparative
- most impure superlative
- impures present, singular, he/she/it
- impuring participle, present
- impured participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does impure mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Containing undesired intermixtures
The impure gemstone was not good enough to be made into a necklace, so it was thrown out.
- 2
Unhallowed; defiled by something unholy, either physically by an objectionable substance, or morally by guilt or sin
- 3
Unchaste; obscene (not according to or not abiding by some system of sexual morality)
He was thinking impure thoughts involving a girl from school.
- 4
Having side effects.
an impure method
verb
- 1
obsoleteto defile; to pollute
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Impure in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense not pure:
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 impure come from?
From Middle French impur, from Latin impūrus.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).