feeble

/ˈfiːbəl/

//ˈfiːbəl// adj

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

"feeble" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“feeble” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #22,082. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#22,082
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Deficient in physical strength.

Corpus desk

Index EN-feeble · feeble · English

feeble · rank #22,082 · 8 variants · 7 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #22,082
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 7 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH fallacy

Nearest frequency peer: fallacy (-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 “feeble”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “feeble” 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).

feeble vs feel
67% similar
feeble vs feels
67% similar
feeble vs feely
67% similar

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

Key facts for feeble
PropertyValue
Headwordfeeble
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈfiːbəl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#22,082
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “feeble”

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).feeblelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “fallacy” (#22,081), “fend” (#22,083), “fairytale” (#22,080). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “feeble” is #22,082. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around feeble (IPA /ˈfiːbəl/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #22,082 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for feeble, with forms such as "efeble", "febele", and "feble". 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 7 confusable-pair relationships, "feel", "feels", "feely", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Anglo-Norman feblebor. Middle English feble English feeble From Middle English feble, from Anglo-Norman feble (“weak, feeble”) (compare French faible), from Latin flēbilis (“tearful, mournful, lamentable”) by dissimilation, from fleō (“to wee… The correct English form is feeble, spelled F-E-E-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Deficient in physical strength.
  2. 2
    Lacking force, vigor, or effectiveness in action or expression; faint.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Though she appeared old and feeble, she could still throw a ball.
  2. Pent up in Utica he vainly forms A poor Epitome of Roman Greatneſs, And, cover’d with Numidian Guards, directs A feeble Army, and an empty Senate, Remnants of mighty Battels fought in vain.

Etymology

Etymology tree Anglo-Norman feblebor. Middle English feble English feeble From Middle English feble, from Anglo-Norman feble (“weak, feeble”) (compare French faible), from Latin flēbilis (“tearful, mournful, lamentable”) by dissimilation, from fleō (“to weep, cry”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₁-. Doublet of foible.

Synonyms

weakinfirmdebilitatedfaint

This word in other languages

débil(Español)faible(Français)kraftlos(Deutsch)fraco(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • efeble
  • febele
  • feble
  • feebble
  • feebel
  • feeblle
  • feelbe
  • ffeeble

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

efeble2febele2feble1feebble1feebel2feeblle1feelbe2ffeeble1
Edit distance from "feeble"

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 "feeble"?
"feeble" is spelled F-E-E-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfiːbəl/.
What does "feeble" mean?
As an adjective, "feeble" means: Deficient in physical strength.
What words are commonly confused with "feeble"?
"feeble" is commonly confused with "feel", "feels", "feely". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "feeble"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "feeble" is /ˈfiːbəl/. 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 "feeble"?
Etymology tree Anglo-Norman feblebor. Middle English feble English feeble From Middle English feble, from Anglo-Norman feble (“weak, feeble”) (compare French faible), from Latin flēbilis (“tearful, mournful, lamentable”) by dissimilation, from fle... 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 "feeble", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

entail#22,073gazing#22,093disarm#22,059Harmon#22,107

Similar misspelling depth

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

guesses8 variantsdetain8 variantsLaguna8 variantsbunnies8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list