impurity

/ɪmˈpjɝɪti/

//ɪmˈpjɝɪti// noun

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

"impurity" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“impurity” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #42,196. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#42,196
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The condition of being impure; because of contamination, pollution, adulteration or insufficient purification.

Corpus desk

Index EN-impurity · impurity · English

impurity · rank #42,196 · 12 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #42,196
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH inalienable

Nearest frequency peer: inalienable (+2 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 “impurity”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “impurity” 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).

impurity vs immunity
75% similar
impurity vs impunity
88% similar

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

Key facts for impurity
PropertyValue
Headwordimpurity
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪmˈpjɝɪti/
Letters8
Frequency rank#42,196
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “impurity”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).impuritylands 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 “inalienable” (#42,198), “hypo” (#42,192), “incongruous” (#42,200). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “impurity” is #42,196. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around impurity (IPA /ɪmˈpjɝɪti/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #42,196 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for impurity, with forms such as "immpurity", "imppurity", and "impruity". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "immunity", "impunity", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From impure + -ity. From Middle French impurité, from Latin impuritas. The correct English form is impurity, spelled I-M-P-U-R-I-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The condition of being impure; because of contamination, pollution, adulteration or insufficient purification.
  2. 2
    A component or additive that renders something else impure.
  3. 3
    A state of immorality or sin; especially the weakness of the flesh: inchastity.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Even animals in the Jewish system cause impurity only when they are dead.
  2. The impurities in the iron ore made extraction of the iron very difficult.

Etymology

From impure + -ity. From Middle French impurité, from Latin impuritas.

Synonyms

impureness

Antonyms

purity

This word in other languages

impureza(Español)impureté(Français)Unreinheit(Deutsch)impureza(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • immpurity
  • imppurity
  • impruity
  • impuirty
  • impuritty
  • impurityy
  • impuriyt
  • impurrity
  • impurtiy
  • imuprity
  • ipmurity
  • mipurity

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

immpurity1imppurity1impruity2impuirty2impuritty1impurityy1impuriyt2impurrity1
Edit distance from "impurity"

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 "impurity"?
"impurity" is spelled I-M-P-U-R-I-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪmˈpjɝɪti/.
What does "impurity" mean?
As a noun, "impurity" means: The condition of being impure; because of contamination, pollution, adulteration or insufficient purification.
What words are commonly confused with "impurity"?
"impurity" is commonly confused with "immunity", "impunity". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "impurity"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "impurity" is /ɪmˈpjɝɪti/. 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 "impurity"?
From impure + -ity. From Middle French impurité, from Latin impuritas. 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 "impurity", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

hydroxyl#42,190hooligan#42,183intifada#42,210headland#42,172

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

Hollander12 variantsguildhall12 variantsglobular12 variantsflathead12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list