able

/ˈeɪ.bl̩/

//ˈeɪ.bl̩// adj

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

"able" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“able” sits in 20 confusable pairs (corpus #352) as an adjective. The look-alike neighbours are the real trap.

#352
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
4
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 2, 2026) - Having the necessary powers or the needed resources to accomplish a task.

Corpus desk

Index EN-able · able · English

able · rank #352 · 4 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #352
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-LOW 4 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH within

Nearest frequency peer: within (-1 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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “able”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “able” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 2, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

able vs AL
0% similar
able vs AE
0% similar
able vs are
50% similar

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

Key facts for able
PropertyValue
Headwordable
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈeɪ.bl̩/
Letters4
Frequency rank#352
Misspellings tracked4
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “able” sits in English 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). able lands here:

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

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

Easy to mix with look-alikes

The spelling risk for able is neighbouring look-alikes ("AL", "AE", …), not just typos; it is anadjective pronounced /ˈeɪ.bl̩/. Frequency #352 among 3,931 “A” headwords. 10 recorded senses keep meaning in play.

Our generated misspelling index lists 4 likely wrong-spelling variants for able, with forms such as "abble", "ablle", and "albe". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "AL", "AE", "are", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *gʰeh₁bʰ- Proto-Italic *haβēō Latin habeō Proto-Italic *-elis Latin -ilis Latin habilis Old French ablebor. Middle English able English able From Middle English able, from Old Northern French able, variant of Old French ab… The correct English form is able, spelled A-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Having the necessary powers or the needed resources to accomplish a task.
  2. 2
    Free from constraints preventing completion of task; permitted to; not prevented from.
  3. 3
    Gifted with skill, intelligence, knowledge, or competence.
  4. 4
    Legally qualified or competent.
  5. 5
    Capable of performing all the requisite duties; as an able seaman.
  6. 6
    Having the physical strength; robust; healthy.
  7. 7
    Easy to use.
  8. 8
    Suitable; competent.
  9. 9
    Liable to.
  10. 10
    Rich; well-to-do.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. She is able to lift the box without assistance.
  2. In a democratic world you'd be able to say what you thought wherever you were.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *gʰeh₁bʰ- Proto-Italic *haβēō Latin habeō Proto-Italic *-elis Latin -ilis Latin habilis Old French ablebor. Middle English able English able From Middle English able, from Old Northern French able, variant of Old French abile, habile, from Latin habilis (“easily managed, held, or handled; apt; skillful”). Doublet of habile.

This word in other languages

capaz(Español)capable(Français)imstande(Deutsch)possível(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • abble
  • ablle
  • albe
  • ible

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of able - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

abble1ablle1albe2ible1
Edit distance from "able"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 2, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "able"?
"able" is spelled A-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈeɪ.bl̩/.
What does "able" mean?
As an adjective, "able" means: Having the necessary powers or the needed resources to accomplish a task.
What words are commonly confused with "able"?
"able" is commonly confused with "AL", "AE", "are". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "able"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "able" is /ˈeɪ.bl̩/. 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 "able"?
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *gʰeh₁bʰ- Proto-Italic *haβēō Latin habeō Proto-Italic *-elis Latin -ilis Latin habilis Old French ablebor. Middle English able English able From Middle English able, from Old Northern French able, variant of Old... 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 "able", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

book#353news#350I'll#356hope#346

What to do next

You've looked up "able". Here's where to go from here.

  • "able" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "AL". View pair
  • 4 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #352 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "A" letter cohort. A–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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