accountability
/əˌkaʊn.təˈbɪl.ə.ti/noun
accountability is spelled A-C-C-O-U-N-T-A-B-I-L-I-T-Y: 14 letters and 6 syllables. It appears 8.1 times per million words in written English, the 8,146th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, accountability means “The state of being accountable; liability to be called on to render an account or give an explanation; liability to be held responsible or answerable…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of accountability is accountabilities.
How many letters and syllables are in accountability?
| Letters | 14: A-C-C-O-U-N-T-A-B-I-L-I-T-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 6 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 8.1 times per million words; the 8,146th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is accountability?
Accountability appears 8.1 times per million words in written English, the 8,146th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce accountability?
- UK /əˌkaʊn.təˈbɪl.ə.ti/
- US /əˌkaʊn.təˈbɪl.ə.ti/
- US [əˌkaʊ.ɾ̃əˈbɪl.ə.ɾi]
Accountability has 6 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-ca-accountabilability.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with accountability?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as accountability from its last stressed vowel (/ɪləti/):
- responsibility
- possibility
- capability
- probability
- fertility
- sustainability
- eligibility
- instability
- vulnerability
- compatibility
- accessibility
- volatility
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of accountability
- accountabilities plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does accountability mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The state of being accountable; liability to be called on to render an account or give an explanation; liability to be held responsible or answerable for something.
- 2
An open determination of one's responsibility for something and imposition of consequences.
- 3
An acceptance of good faith of one's responsibility for something and of its consequences.
- 4
The obligation imposed by law or regulation on an officer or other person for keeping an accurate record of property, documents, or funds.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Accountability in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | responsabilité, obligation de rendre compte, obligation de rendre des comptes, engagement responsable |
| German | Verantwortlichkeit, Rechenschaftspflicht |
| Portuguese | responsabilidade , competência |
| Spanish | responsabilidad, imputabilidad, culpabilidad, culpabilización, responsabilización , competencia |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does accountability come from?
From accountable + -ity.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).