When you think of verbs that start with the letter “I”, words like inspire, imagine, illuminate, and invigorate quickly come to mind. Though “I” sits quietly in the middle of the alphabet, it powers some of the most positive, impactful, and versatile verbs in the English language. These action words bring energy to conversations, add depth to writing, and help express ideas with clarity. Whether you’re a student expanding your vocabulary, a writer looking to polish your style, or a teacher introducing language to kids, exploring verbs that start with “I” is both fun and educational.
Verbs that start with the letter “I” cover a wide range of actions, from everyday expressions to more advanced vocabulary. These words can help you describe, explain, and communicate ideas more effectively. For example, verbs like inspire and illuminate bring positivity, while others like investigate or interpret are useful in academic and professional contexts. Below, you’ll find a complete alphabetical list of verbs beginning with “I”, along with their meanings and examples, to make learning easier and more practical.
Common Verbs Starting With I
Include – to make something part of a whole. Example: The price includes breakfast and free Wi-Fi.
Introduce – to present someone or something for the first time. Example: Let me introduce you to my colleague.
Inform – to give knowledge or facts. Example: The teacher informed us about the test.
Invite – to ask someone to join or attend. Example: We invited them to our wedding.
Increase – to make something bigger in size or number. Example: The company increased its sales last year.
Improve – to make better. Example: She improved her cooking skills through practice.
Indicate – to show or point out. Example: The sign indicates the direction to the station.
Influence – to affect someone or something. Example: His words influenced my decision.
Identify – to recognize or name something. Example: The police identified the suspect quickly.
Ignore – to pay no attention to something. Example: She ignored his rude comment.
Imagine – to form a picture in the mind. Example: I imagine living in a quiet countryside.
Insist – to demand firmly. Example: He insisted on paying the bill.
Interpret – to explain the meaning of something. Example: She interpreted the poem beautifully.
Invent – to create something new. Example: Thomas Edison invented the light bulb.
Invest – to put money, time, or effort into something. Example: They invested in real estate properties.
Positive Verbs Starting With I
Verb
Meaning
Example
Inspire
to encourage or motivate
Her story inspired many young people.
Illuminate
to light up or make clear
The lantern illuminated the dark path.
Invigorate
to energize or refresh
A morning jog invigorates the body.
Impress
to make someone admire
His performance impressed the judges.
Involve
to engage or include actively
The teacher involved students in the project.
Integrate
to bring together into a whole
The program integrates technology and education.
Initiate
to begin something
She initiated a new recycling program at school.
Inculcate
to instill values or ideas
Parents inculcate good manners in children.
Instill
to gradually introduce positive feelings
The coach instilled confidence in the team.
Innovate
to introduce new ideas
The company continues to innovate in technology.
Ingrain
to deeply establish a habit or belief
Kindness was ingrained in her from childhood.
Immortalize
to preserve someone’s memory forever
The monument immortalized the hero’s sacrifice.
Idealize
to see as perfect or better than reality
Children often idealize their parents.
Improve
to make something better
She improved her grades after studying harder.
Incorporate
to include as part of a whole
We incorporated her ideas into the project.
Action Verbs Starting With I
Inject – to force a liquid into something. Example: The nurse injected the medicine into his arm.
Ignite – to set on fire or spark. Example: The match ignited the dry wood.
Impact – to strongly affect. Example: The speech impacted everyone in the audience.
Implement – to put a plan into effect. Example: The company implemented new safety rules.
Import – to bring goods from another country. Example: They import coffee from Brazil.
Install – to put something in place for use. Example: They installed new software on the computer.
Inspect – to examine closely. Example: The mechanic inspected the car engine.
Intervene – to come between to help or prevent. Example: The teacher intervened in the argument.
Investigate – to look into carefully. Example: The police investigated the case thoroughly.
Interrupt – to stop someone while speaking. Example: Please don’t interrupt when I’m explaining.
Issue – to officially give out or provide. Example: The bank issued new credit cards.
Identify – to recognize or prove identity. Example: They identified the problem quickly.
Influence – to cause a change. Example: His kindness influenced her choice.
Illustrate – to explain with examples or pictures. Example: The teacher illustrated the concept with diagrams.
Interact – to communicate or work with others. Example: The kids interacted happily at the playground.
Regular Verbs That Start With I
Verb
Meaning
Example
Imitate
to copy someone or something
The child imitated her mother’s voice.
Indulge
to allow oneself to enjoy something
She indulged in a slice of cake.
Insult
to speak or act disrespectfully
He insulted his friend by mocking him.
Interrupt
to stop the continuous progress of something
The phone call interrupted our meeting.
Invent
to create or design something
He invented a new gadget.
Invite
to ask someone to come
We invited our neighbors to dinner.
Iron
to press clothes with heat
She ironed her dress before the party.
Issue
to supply or distribute officially
The manager issued a new policy.
Identify
to recognize or establish identity
They identified the missing files.
Indicate
to show or point out
The arrows indicated the exit.
Imagine
to form an idea or picture in the mind
I imagined winning the race.
Influence
to affect in some way
His book influenced many readers.
Inform
to tell or notify
She informed me about the change.
Increase
to grow in size or amount
The population increased rapidly.
Inspect
to look closely at something
He inspected the car before buying it.
Irregular Verbs Starting With I
Inlay – to set pieces of material into a surface. Example: The artist inlaid silver into the wooden box.
Input – to enter data or information. Example: She input the numbers into the spreadsheet.
Inset – to place something inside a larger object. Example: The jeweler inset the diamond into the ring.
Interweave – to mix or blend closely. Example: The author interwove fact and fiction in her novel.
Inbreed – to produce by mating closely related animals. Example: The farmer avoided inbreeding among his livestock.
Inscribe – to carve or write onto a surface. Example: They inscribed his name on the trophy.
Inset – to embed something inside another. Example: A small picture was inset into the frame.
Intercut – to alternate between two scenes in film. Example: The director intercut the past and present.
Inhold – to keep or contain within. Example: The old temple inholds many secrets.
Inshoot – to shoot or pass (in sports) toward the inside. Example: He inshot the ball skillfully.
Indwell – to exist permanently inside. Example: Peace indwelt in her heart after meditation.
Instride – to step into or cover with stride. Example: He instrid the battlefield with confidence.
Inbreak – to break in suddenly. Example: Light inbroke through the clouds.
Interstrike – to hit back or strike between. Example: The warriors interstruck during battle.
Ingo (archaic) – to go into or enter. Example: The knight ingo the castle with courage.
Phrasal Verbs Starting With I
Verb
Meaning
Example
Iron out
to resolve problems
They ironed out their differences.
Inquire into
to investigate
The committee will inquire into the complaint.
Insist on
to demand firmly
She insisted on paying for dinner.
Indulge in
to allow oneself to enjoy
He indulged in chocolate cake.
Invite over
to ask someone to visit
We invited our friends over for tea.
Inform against
to secretly report someone
He informed against his accomplices.
Impose on
to take advantage of
I don’t want to impose on your kindness.
Invest in
to put time, effort, or money into
They invested in renewable energy.
Infer from
to conclude based on evidence
I inferred from his tone that he was upset.
Interfere with
to get in the way of
Loud noises interfered with my sleep.
Ink in
to confirm something
We inked in the date for the meeting.
Inquire about
to ask for information
She inquired about the job opening.
Intrude on
to enter without permission
He intruded on their private conversation.
Insure against
to protect financially
We insured against fire damage.
Issue out
to flow or come out
Smoke issued out of the chimney.
Rare and Unique Verbs Starting With I
Imbibe – to absorb or drink in. Example: She imbibed wisdom from her teachers.
Immolate – to sacrifice by burning. Example: The priest immolated offerings in the fire.
Implore – to beg earnestly. Example: He implored her to forgive him.
Inculpate – to blame or accuse. Example: The evidence inculpated the suspect.
Incommode – to inconvenience or trouble. Example: I hope my request doesn’t incommode you.
Incarnate – to embody or give form to. Example: She incarnated kindness in her actions.
Indurate – to harden physically or emotionally. Example: His heart indurated after years of grief.
Inculcate – to instill beliefs or habits. Example: Teachers inculcate discipline in students.
Inhere – to exist essentially within. Example: The beauty of the poem inheres in its simplicity.
Intenerate – to soften emotionally. Example: Her tears intenerated his heart.
Inveigh – to speak or write strongly against. Example: He inveighed against corruption in politics.
Inveigle – to persuade by deception or flattery. Example: She inveigled him into signing the contract.
Infatuate – to cause unreasonable admiration. Example: He was infatuated by her charm.
Impugn – to challenge or attack as false. Example: The lawyer impugned the witness’s testimony.
Irradiate – to shine light on or illuminate. Example: The sun irradiated the snowy peaks.
Popular & Impactful Verbs That Start With I
Verb
Meaning
Example
Inspire
to motivate or encourage
Her courage inspired the whole team.
Ignite
to spark action or passion
His words ignited a movement.
Influence
to affect deeply
Leaders influence society through actions.
Implement
to carry out a plan
They implemented a new strategy.
Innovate
to introduce new ideas
The company innovates constantly in technology.
Illuminate
to make clear or light up
Her explanation illuminated the topic.
Initiate
to start something important
He initiated a cultural exchange program.
Integrate
to bring parts together
The system integrates AI and robotics.
Invigorate
to energize
The speech invigorated the audience.
Involve
to engage fully
She involved students in every activity.
Illustrate
to clarify with examples
The teacher illustrated the process with diagrams.
Interpret
to explain meaning
He interpreted the poem brilliantly.
Induce
to bring about or cause
The medicine induced sleep quickly.
Instill
to gradually teach or establish
Parents instill values in their children.
Immortalize
to make remembered forever
The artist immortalized her in the painting.
Fun Facts About Words Beginning With I
The Only English Word with a Capital “I” – “I” is the only single-letter word in English that’s always capitalized, no matter where it appears in a sentence. This makes it one of the most unique pronouns in the entire language.
Positive Power of “I” Verbs – Many verbs starting with I (inspire, illuminate, innovate, invigorate) are associated with growth, positivity, and creativity, making “I” a letter of encouragement in vocabulary.
Latin Origins Dominate “I” Words – A large portion of “I” words in English come from Latin roots. For example, illuminate comes from illuminare (“to light up”) and inspire comes from inspirare (“to breathe into”).
“I” Is a Vowel That Often Starts Verbs – Unlike some vowels that rarely start verbs, I begins more than 180 verbs in English, showing its versatility in communication and action.
Shortest & Longest “I” Words – The shortest is the pronoun “I” itself, while some of the longest I-verbs include institutionalize and individualize, each stretching to 15+ letters.
Some of the most common verbs beginning with I include include, invite, inform, increase, improve, and ignore.
Positive “I” verbs include inspire, illuminate, innovate, invigorate, integrate, and instill. These words add uplifting meaning to sentences.
The shortest is the pronoun “I” itself, which is also the only one-letter word in English always capitalized.
Action verbs that start with I include inject, ignite, install, inspect, interrupt, and intervene, all of which describe clear, physical or mental actions.
Examples include imbibe, immolate, inculpate, inveigh, and irradiate, which are less commonly used but add depth to advanced writing.
They are important because they appear in daily conversation, academic writing, and creative expression, making them essential for learners to master.
Conclusion
Exploring verbs that start with “I” is more than just expanding your vocabulary, it’s about adding power, positivity, and precision to your communication. From common words like invite and inform to impactful choices such as inspire, ignite, and innovate, these verbs help you express thoughts more clearly and creatively. Whether you’re a student learning English, a writer improving style, or a teacher introducing vocabulary, “I” verbs offer endless opportunities to strengthen expression.
