# fable vs fails

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### fable
*noun · IPA /ˈfeɪbəl/ · frequency rank #23,535*
A fictitious narrative intended to enforce some useful truth or precept, usually with animals, etc. as characters; an apologue. Prototypically, Aesop's Fables.

### fails
*verb · IPA /feɪlz/ · frequency rank #4,600*
third-person singular simple present indicative of fail

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fable-vs-fails