fable

/ˈfeɪbəl/

//ˈfeɪbəl// noun

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

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

The verdict

“fable” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #23,535. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#23,535
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A fictitious narrative intended to enforce some useful truth or precept, usually with animals, etc. as characters; an apologue. Prototypically, Aesop's Fables.

Corpus desk

Index EN-fable · fable · English

fable · rank #23,535 · 8 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #23,535
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH eyeliner

Nearest frequency peer: eyeliner (-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 “fable”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “fable” 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).

fable vs fae
60% similar
fable vs fal
60% similar
fable vs face
60% similar

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

Key facts for fable
PropertyValue
Headwordfable
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈfeɪbəl/
Letters5
Frequency rank#23,535
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “fable”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).fablelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “eyeliner” (#23,534), “Farah” (#23,536), “fatality” (#23,537). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “fable” is #23,535. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around fable (IPA /ˈfeɪbəl/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #23,535 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for fable, with forms such as "afble", "fabble", and "fabel". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "fae", "fal", "face", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English, borrowed from Old French fable, from Latin fābula, from fārī (“to speak, say”) + -bula (“instrumental suffix”). See ban, and compare fabulous, fame. Doublet of fabula. The correct English form is fable, spelled F-A-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A fictitious narrative intended to enforce some useful truth or precept, usually with animals, etc. as characters; an apologue. Prototypically, Aesop's Fables.
  2. 2
    Any story told to excite wonder; common talk; the theme of talk.
  3. 3
    Fiction; untruth; falsehood.
  4. 4
    The plot, story, or connected series of events forming the subject of an epic or dramatic poem.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. But refuſe prophane and olde wiues fables, and exerciſe thy ſelfe rather vnto godlineſſe.
  2. […]we grew / The fable of the city where we dwelt.

Etymology

From Middle English, borrowed from Old French fable, from Latin fābula, from fārī (“to speak, say”) + -bula (“instrumental suffix”). See ban, and compare fabulous, fame. Doublet of fabula.

This word in other languages

fábula(Español)conte(Français)Fabel(Deutsch)fábula(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • afble
  • fabble
  • fabel
  • fablle
  • falbe
  • fbale
  • ffable
  • fible

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

afble2fabble1fabel2fablle1falbe2fbale2ffable1fible1
Edit distance from "fable"

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 "fable"?
"fable" is spelled F-A-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfeɪbəl/.
What does "fable" mean?
As a noun, "fable" means: A fictitious narrative intended to enforce some useful truth or precept, usually with animals, etc. as characters; an apologue. Prototypically, Aesop's Fables.
What words are commonly confused with "fable"?
"fable" is commonly confused with "fae", "fal", "face". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fable"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fable" is /ˈfeɪbəl/. 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 "fable"?
From Middle English, borrowed from Old French fable, from Latin fābula, from fārī (“to speak, say”) + -bula (“instrumental suffix”). See ban, and compare fabulous, fame. Doublet of fabula. 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 "fable", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Farah#23,536Gabby#23,549Gayle#23,551Imran#23,565

Similar misspelling depth

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

elixir8 variantsGaddafi8 variantsIthaca8 variantsCeline8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list