enviable

/ˈɛn.vi.ə.bl̩/

//ˈɛn.vi.ə.bl̩// adj

"enviable" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“enviable” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #34,046 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#34,046
frequency rank, English
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Arousing or likely to arouse envy.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

enviable vs enable
75% similar

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

Key facts for enviable
PropertyValue
Headwordenviable
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈɛn.vi.ə.bl̩/
Letters8
Frequency rank#34,046
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “enviable” 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). enviable 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 enviable is 8 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɛn.vi.ə.bl̩/. Corpus data places it at rank #34,046 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Arousing or likely to arouse envy.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for enviable, with forms such as "enivable", "ennviable", and "envaible". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "enable", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Old French enviebor. Middle English envie English envy Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlis Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English enviable From envy + -able (suffix meaning ‘able… The correct English form is enviable, spelled E-N-V-I-A-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Arousing or likely to arouse envy.

Etymology

Etymology tree Old French enviebor. Middle English envie English envy Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlis Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English enviable From envy + -able (suffix meaning ‘able or fit to be done’ forming adjectives).

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: enivable,ennviable,envaible,enviabble,enviabel,enviablle,envialbe,envibale,enviible,envviable,evniable,neviable

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of enviable - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

enivable2ennviable1envaible2enviabble1enviabel2enviablle1envialbe2envibale2
Edit distance from "enviable"

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 "enviable"?
"enviable" is spelled E-N-V-I-A-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɛn.vi.ə.bl̩/.
What does "enviable" mean?
As an adjective, "enviable" means: Arousing or likely to arouse envy.
What words are commonly confused with "enviable"?
"enviable" is commonly confused with "enable". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "enviable"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "enviable" is /ˈɛn.vi.ə.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 "enviable"?
Etymology tree Old French enviebor. Middle English envie English envy Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlis Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English enviable From envy + -able (suffix mea... 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 “enviable”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is E-N-V-I-A-B-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɛn.vi.ə.bl̩/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “enable” - see the side-by-side comparison. enviable vs enable
  • 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