imposture

\ɛ̃.pɔs.tyʁ\

/\ɛ̃.pɔs.tyʁ\/ noun

The verdict

“imposture” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #21,042 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#21,042
frequency rank, French
9
letters
13
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Ce que l’on impute faussement à quelqu’un dans le dessein de lui nuire.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

imposture vs imposteur
78% similar
imposture vs imposteurs
80% similar

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

Key facts for imposture
PropertyValue
Headwordimposture
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ɛ̃.pɔs.tyʁ\
Letters9
Frequency rank#21,042
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “imposture” sits in French frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). imposture lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The French entry for imposture is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ɛ̃.pɔs.tyʁ\. Corpus data places it at rank #21,042 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for imposture, with forms such as "immposture", "imopsture", and "impossture". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "imposteur", "imposteurs", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct French form is imposture, spelled I-M-P-O-S-T-U-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Ce que l’on impute faussement à quelqu’un dans le dessein de lui nuire.
  2. 2
    Doctrine destinée à séduire les hommes, à faire secte.
  3. 3
    Ouvrage fabriqué dans une intention de fraude et donné comme l’œuvre d'un auteur connu.
  4. 4
    Action de tromper dans ses mœurs, dans sa conduite, afin d’en imposer et de se faire passer pour une autre personne qu’on n’est.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: immposture,imopsture,impossture,impostrue,impostture,impostuer,imposturre,imposutre,impotsure,impposture,impsoture,ipmosture,miposture

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

immposture1imopsture2impossture1impostrue2impostture1impostuer2imposturre1imposutre2
Edit distance from "imposture"

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 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "imposture"?
"imposture" is spelled I-M-P-O-S-T-U-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is \ɛ̃.pɔs.tyʁ\.
What does "imposture" mean?
As a noun, "imposture" means: Ce que l’on impute faussement à quelqu’un dans le dessein de lui nuire.
What words are commonly confused with "imposture"?
"imposture" is commonly confused with "imposteur", "imposteurs". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "imposture"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "imposture" is \ɛ̃.pɔs.tyʁ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "imposture" come from?
"imposture" is a French word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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.

Using “imposture”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct French spelling is I-M-P-O-S-T-U-R-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ɛ̃.pɔs.tyʁ\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “imposteur” - see the side-by-side comparison. imposture vs imposteur
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list