cable

/ˈkeɪ.bəl/

//ˈkeɪ.bəl// noun

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

"cable" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cable” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #2,776. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,776
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 2, 2026) - A long object used to make a physical connection.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cable · cable · English

cable · rank #2,776 · 8 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,776
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH bible

Nearest frequency peer: bible (-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 “cable”

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

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “cable” 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).

cable vs cal
60% similar
cable vs CBE
0% similar
cable vs care
60% similar

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

Key facts for cable
PropertyValue
Headwordcable
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkeɪ.bəl/
Letters5
Frequency rank#2,776
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cable” 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). cable lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around cable (IPA /ˈkeɪ.bəl/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #2,776 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 12 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for cable, with forms such as "acble", "cabble", and "cabel". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "cal", "CBE", "care", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Recorded since c.1205 as Middle English cable, from Old Northern French cable, from Late Latin capulum (“lasso, rope, halter”), from Latin capiō (“to take, seize”). Use of the term "cable" to refer to the USD/GBP exchange rate originated in the mid-19th cen… The correct English form is cable, spelled C-A-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A long object used to make a physical connection.
  2. 2
    A long object used to make a physical connection.
  3. 3
    A long object used to make a physical connection.
  4. 4
    A long object used to make a physical connection.
  5. 5
    A system for transmitting television or Internet services over a network of coaxial or fibreoptic cables.
  6. 6
    A system for transmitting television or Internet services over a network of coaxial or fibreoptic cables.
  7. 7
    A telegram, notably when sent by (submarine) telegraph cable.
  8. 8
    A unit of length equal to one tenth of a nautical mile.
  9. 9
    100 fathoms, 600 imperial feet, approximately 185 m.
  10. 10
    The currency pair British Pound against United States Dollar.
  11. 11
    A moulding, shaft of a column, or any other member of convex, rounded section, made to resemble the spiral twist of a rope.
  12. 12
    A textural pattern achieved by passing groups of stitches over one another.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. “And now the time of tide has come; the ship casts off her cables; and from the deserted wharf the uncheered ship for Tarshish, all careening, glides to sea.
  2. I tried to watch the movie last night but my cable was out.

Etymology

Recorded since c.1205 as Middle English cable, from Old Northern French cable, from Late Latin capulum (“lasso, rope, halter”), from Latin capiō (“to take, seize”). Use of the term "cable" to refer to the USD/GBP exchange rate originated in the mid-19th century, when the exchange rate began to be transmitted across the Atlantic by a submarine communications cable.

This word in other languages

cable(Español)câble(Français)Seil(Deutsch)cabo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • acble
  • cabble
  • cabel
  • cablle
  • calbe
  • cbale
  • ccable
  • cible

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of cable - 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.

acble2cabble1cabel2cablle1calbe2cbale2ccable1cible1
Edit distance from "cable"

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 "cable"?
"cable" is spelled C-A-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkeɪ.bəl/.
What does "cable" mean?
As a noun, "cable" means: A long object used to make a physical connection.
What words are commonly confused with "cable"?
"cable" is commonly confused with "cal", "CBE", "care". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cable"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cable" is /ˈkeɪ.bəl/. 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 "cable"?
Recorded since c.1205 as Middle English cable, from Old Northern French cable, from Late Latin capulum (“lasso, rope, halter”), from Latin capiō (“to take, seize”). Use of the term "cable" to refer to the USD/GBP exchange rate originated in the mi... 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 "cable", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

bible#2,775dates#2,783doors#2,786ships#2,762

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

empire8 variantsretail8 variantsmanage8 variantsrelief8 variants
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