capable

/ˈkeɪ.pə.bəl/

//ˈkeɪ.pə.bəl// adj

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

"capable" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“capable” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #2,429. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,429
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Able and efficient; having the ability needed for a specific task; having the disposition to do something; permitting or being susceptible to something.

Corpus desk

Index EN-capable · capable · English

capable · rank #2,429 · 11 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,429
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH brings

Nearest frequency peer: brings (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “capable”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “capable” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

capable vs capsule
71% similar
capable vs curable
71% similar
capable vs culpable
75% similar

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

Key facts for capable
PropertyValue
Headwordcapable
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈkeɪ.pə.bəl/
Letters7
Frequency rank#2,429
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “capable”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).capablelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “brings” (#2,428), “carrying” (#2,430), “bright” (#2,427). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “capable” is #2,429. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around capable (IPA /ˈkeɪ.pə.bəl/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #2,429 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for capable, with forms such as "acpable", "caapble", and "capabble". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "capsule", "curable", "culpable", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French capable, from Late Latin capābilis. The correct English form is capable, spelled C-A-P-A-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Able and efficient; having the ability needed for a specific task; having the disposition to do something; permitting or being susceptible to something.
  2. 2
    Of sufficient capacity or size for holding, containing, receiving or taking in; accessible to. Construed with of, for or an infinitive.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. She is capable and efficient.
  2. He does not need help; he is capable of eating on his own.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French capable, from Late Latin capābilis.

Synonyms

capable

Antonyms

incapable

This word in other languages

capaz(Español)capable(Français)fähig(Deutsch)capaz(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • acpable
  • caapble
  • capabble
  • capabel
  • capablle
  • capalbe
  • capbale
  • capible
  • cappable
  • ccapable
  • cpaable

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of capable - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

acpable2caapble2capabble1capabel2capablle1capalbe2capbale2capible1
Edit distance from "capable"

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 "capable"?
"capable" is spelled C-A-P-A-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkeɪ.pə.bəl/.
What does "capable" mean?
As an adjective, "capable" means: Able and efficient; having the ability needed for a specific task; having the disposition to do something; permitting or being susceptible to something.
What words are commonly confused with "capable"?
"capable" is commonly confused with "capsule", "curable", "culpable". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "capable"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "capable" is /ˈkeɪ.pə.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 "capable"?
Borrowed from Middle French capable, from Late Latin capābilis. 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 "capable", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

alcohol#2,424cutting#2,435granted#2,444suicide#2,409

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

carrying11 variantsassembly11 variantsVirginia11 variantsessential11 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list