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” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #352 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#352
frequency rank, English
4
letters
4
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Having the necessary powers or the needed resources to accomplish a task.

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.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for able is 4 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈeɪ.bl̩/. Corpus data places it at rank #352 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

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.

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.

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.

Using “able”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-B-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈeɪ.bl̩/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “AL” - see the side-by-side comparison. able vs AL
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English 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