disable

/dɪsˈeɪbəl/

//dɪsˈeɪbəl// verb

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

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

The verdict

“disable” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #14,513. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#14,513
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To render unable; to take away an ability of, as by crippling.

Corpus desk

Index EN-disable · disable · English

disable · rank #14,513 · 11 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #14,513
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH dickens

Nearest frequency peer: dickens (-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 “disable”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “disable” 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).

disable vs doable
71% similar
disable vs durable
71% similar
disable vs disabled
88% similar

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

Key facts for disable
PropertyValue
Headworddisable
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dɪsˈeɪbəl/
Letters7
Frequency rank#14,513
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “disable”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).disablelands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “dickens” (#14,512), “disconnected” (#14,514), “dew” (#14,511). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “disable” is #14,513. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around disable (IPA /dɪsˈeɪbəl/), averb. Corpus frequency is #14,513 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for disable, with forms such as "ddisable", "diasble", and "disabble". 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, "doable", "durable", "disabled", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From dis- + able. The correct English form is disable, spelled D-I-S-A-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To render unable; to take away an ability of, as by crippling.
  2. 2
    To impair the physical or mental abilities of; to cause a serious, permanent injury.
  3. 3
    To deactivate, to make inoperational (especially of a function of an electronic or mechanical device).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Falling off the horse disabled him.
  2. Krav is a martial art of last resort that assumes no quarter and focuses purely on disarming, disabling and, if necessary, destroying your opponent.

Etymology

From dis- + able.

Synonyms

unabledeactivatedisabledisenablecrippleincapacitate

Antonyms

enablecapacitatere-enable

This word in other languages

incapacitar(Español)désactiver(Français)außerstand setzen(Deutsch)desabilitar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddisable
  • diasble
  • disabble
  • disabel
  • disablle
  • disalbe
  • disbale
  • disible
  • dissable
  • dsiable
  • idsable

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddisable1diasble2disabble1disabel2disablle1disalbe2disbale2disible1
Edit distance from "disable"

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 "disable"?
"disable" is spelled D-I-S-A-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪsˈeɪbəl/.
What does "disable" mean?
As a verb, "disable" means: To render unable; to take away an ability of, as by crippling.
What words are commonly confused with "disable"?
"disable" is commonly confused with "doable", "durable", "disabled". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "disable"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "disable" is /dɪsˈeɪbəl/. 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 "disable"?
From dis- + able. 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 "disable", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

dickens#14,512cruiser#14,500conceal#14,496Fairfax#14,532

Similar misspelling depth

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

examiner11 variantschuckle11 variantscherish11 variantsFischer11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list