fallible

/ˈfal.ɪ.bəl/

//ˈfal.ɪ.bəl// adj

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

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

The verdict

“fallible” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #49,326. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#49,326
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Capable of making mistakes or being wrong.

Corpus desk

Index EN-fallible · fallible · English

fallible · rank #49,326 · 11 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #49,326
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH extenuating

Nearest frequency peer: extenuating (-2 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 “fallible”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “fallible” 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).

fallible vs follicle
75% similar

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

Key facts for fallible
PropertyValue
Headwordfallible
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈfal.ɪ.bəl/
Letters8
Frequency rank#49,326
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “fallible”

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).falliblelands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “extenuating” (#49,324), “Farhan” (#49,328), “Fars” (#49,329). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “fallible” is #49,326. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around fallible (IPA /ˈfal.ɪ.bəl/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #49,326 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Capable of making mistakes or being wrong.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for fallible, with forms such as "afllible", "falible", and "falilble". 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, "follicle", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English fallible, from Medieval Latin fallibilis (“liable to err, also deceitful”), from Latin fallere (“to deceive”). The correct English form is fallible, spelled F-A-L-L-I-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Capable of making mistakes or being wrong.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. prove fallible
  2. recognize as fallible

Etymology

From Middle English fallible, from Medieval Latin fallibilis (“liable to err, also deceitful”), from Latin fallere (“to deceive”).

Synonyms

defectivefaultyfaultfulimperfect

Antonyms

perfectinfallible

This word in other languages

falible(Español)faillible(Français)fehlbar(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • afllible
  • falible
  • falilble
  • fallable
  • fallbile
  • fallibble
  • fallibel
  • falliblle
  • fallilbe
  • ffallible
  • flalible

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

afllible2falible1falilble2fallable1fallbile2fallibble1fallibel2falliblle1
Edit distance from "fallible"

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 "fallible"?
"fallible" is spelled F-A-L-L-I-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfal.ɪ.bəl/.
What does "fallible" mean?
As an adjective, "fallible" means: Capable of making mistakes or being wrong.
What words are commonly confused with "fallible"?
"fallible" is commonly confused with "follicle". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fallible"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fallible" is /ˈfal.ɪ.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 "fallible"?
From Middle English fallible, from Medieval Latin fallibilis (“liable to err, also deceitful”), from Latin fallere (“to deceive”). 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 "fallible", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

filigree#49,332freefall#49,341frigging#49,342Gabriele#49,347

Similar misspelling depth

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

forking11 variantsdustbin11 variantsgeorgette11 variantsgusting11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list