Nothing is impossible, the word itself says I'm possible
Not Audrey Hepburn — an unsourced modern aphorismUnknown — an anonymous piece of wordplayPopularly pinned to Audrey Hepburn (1929–1993), who left no record of saying it
This “impossible / I’m possible” pun is universally credited to Audrey Hepburn, but it is documented in none of her interviews, speeches, books, or letters. Wikiquote carries it only as an unsourced attribution, and Goodreads tags it “attributed-no-source.” No verified originator is known — it reads as anonymous motivational wordplay later attached to her name.
“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says I'm possible” Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible' — attributed to Audrey Hepburn, but unsourced; found in none of her documented speeches, interviews, books, or letters.
Can you use it?
? We couldn’t verify where this wording comes from, so there’s no rights status to give. Safe to present as an unverified or anonymous line — just don’t assert a specific author or source.
Image direction — grounded in this quote’s real context; paste into your image tool
In context
Evoking the world of Audrey Hepburn — actress & UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. Theme: "Nothing is impossible, the word itself says I'm possible". Atmospheric and restrained, cinematic directional light, a muted period-appropriate palette, fine grain and texture. Compose with generous empty space for the quote and a small credit line. No lettering in the image itself.
Minimalist
Minimalist editorial slide for the quote "Nothing is impossible, the word itself says I'm possible". Clean background, a single muted accent color, generous negative space, subtle paper or linen texture, no literal illustration — let the words carry it. Reserve clear space for a serif quote and a small credit line. No lettering in the image itself.
Provenance
What the record actually shows
Quote
Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible’
Credited to
Audrey Hepburn (no primary source)
Documented source
None — not in any interview, speech, book, or letter
Status
Unsourced / anonymous aphorism
Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible’!
The line trades entirely on splitting the written word impossible into I’m possible — a play that only works in English and has circulated anonymously on posters, cards, and social media, most often under Hepburn’s name.
Goodreads hosts it with tens of thousands of likes but tags it “attributed-no-source.”
Hepburn is a documented magnet for false quotes: Wikiquote’s talk page documents that the famous “beauty tips” verse was Sam Levenson’s, not hers.
Quote Investigator has traced other “nothing is impossible” quips but not this Hepburn line — no researcher has found a primary source for it.
The exact wording has no identifiable first publication or author — it is an anonymous motivational aphorism of uncertain date circulated on posters, cards, and the web. With no sourced work to date, no copyright status can be responsibly asserted; it is neither demonstrably public-domain nor tied to a known rights holder.
Fact-check
Why Hepburn gets the credit
The line is one of the internet’s most-shared “Audrey Hepburn” quotes, yet the attribution rests on nothing but repetition. It follows the same pattern as her other famous fake quotes.
The real patternAnonymous motivational wordplay origin unknown
The “impossible / I’m possible” split is a stock English pun that circulated anonymously before being attached to Hepburn’s name; no documented originator has been identified by Quote Investigator or Wikiquote.
✓No primary source connects this pun to Audrey Hepburn; it survives only through repetition, and Wikiquote lists it as unsourced.
Context
A pun that outran its author
The appeal is mechanical: the word impossible literally contains the letters of I’m possible, so the aphorism feels like it reveals a hidden truth. That tidy, screenshot-ready cleverness is exactly what powers a modern viral quote — and exactly why it needed a glamorous, optimistic face to travel under.
Audrey Hepburn, beloved and safely beyond correction, became the default attribution the same way she did for Sam Levenson’s beauty verse. The line likely predates its Hepburn branding as anonymous poster-and-greeting-card wisdom, but without a datable first appearance, honesty requires calling it what it is: unsourced.
“Impossible” really does spell “I’m possible” — but Audrey Hepburn is not on record saying so.
Explore
Filed under
More provenance-checked quotes on the same theme, each with its reuse status.
Audrey Hepburn was the Belgian-born British actress of Roman Holiday, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and My Fair Lady, and in her later years a devoted UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. Her luminous public image made her a magnet for feel-good quotations she never actually said — from the “beauty tips” that were really Sam Levenson’s to this “I’m possible” pun. The optimism fits her legend, which is precisely why the misattribution sticks.
For writers & researchers
Cite this
Earliest documented attribution
No primary source located. Earliest documentation is as an unsourced attribution to Audrey Hepburn; see “Talk:Audrey Hepburn,” Wikiquote, and the “attributed-no-source”-tagged entry on Goodreads.
This verification page
Quotle.info. “Who really said ‘Nothing is impossible, the word itself says I'm possible’?” Last verified 8 Jul 2026. https://quotle.info/who-said/nothing-is-impossible-the-word-itself-says-im-possible