impurity
/ɪmˈpjɝɪti/noun
impurity is spelled I-M-P-U-R-I-T-Y: 8 letters and 4 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 42,145th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, impurity means “The condition of being impure; because of contamination, pollution, adulteration or insufficient purification” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of impurity is impurities.
How many letters and syllables are in impurity?
| Letters | 8: I-M-P-U-R-I-T-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 42,145th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
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 impurity?
Impurity appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 42,145th 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 impurity?
- US /ɪmˈpjɝɪti/
- US /ɪmˈpjuɹɪti/
Impurity has 4 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-impurity.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Wodencafe-impurity.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with impurity?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as impurity from its last stressed vowel (/ɜɹɪti/):
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 impurity
- impurities plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does impurity mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The condition of being impure; because of contamination, pollution, adulteration or insufficient purification.
Even animals in the Jewish system cause impurity only when they are dead.
- 2
A component or additive that renders something else impure.
The impurities in the iron ore made extraction of the iron very difficult.
- 3
A state of immorality or sin; especially the weakness of the flesh: inchastity.
With his cheating, lying and stealing, he epitomised the impurity of humanity.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Impurity in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | impureté |
| German | Unreinheit, Verunreinigung , Fremdkörper |
| Portuguese | impuridade, impureza , impudor |
| Spanish | impuridad , impureza |
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 impurity come from?
From impure + -ity. From Middle French impurité, from Latin impuritas.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).