incapable
in·ca·pable/ɪnˈkeɪpəbl̩/adjective, noun
incapable is spelled I-N-C-A-P-A-B-L-E: 9 letters and 3 syllables (in·ca·pable). It appears 5.2 times per million words in written English, the 10,843rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, incapable means “Not capable (of doing something); unable” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in incapable?
| Letters | 9: I-N-C-A-P-A-B-L-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: in·ca·pable |
| In writing | 5.2 times per million words; the 10,843rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is incapable?
Incapable appears 5.2 times per million words in written English, the 10,843rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce incapable?
- /ɪnˈkeɪpəbl̩/
- /ɪŋˈkeɪpəbl̩/
Incapable has 3 syllables, split in·ca·pable in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-incapable.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of incapable
- more incapable comparative
- most incapable superlative
- incapables plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does incapable mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Not capable (of doing something); unable.
A pint glass is incapable of holding more than a pint of liquid.
- 2
Not in a state to receive; not receptive; not susceptible; not able to admit.
incapable of pain, or pleasure; incapable of stain or injury
noun
- 1
datedOne who is morally or mentally weak or inefficient; an imbecile; a simpleton.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Incapable in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense not being capable:
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does incapable come from?
Borrowed from Middle French incapable, equivalent to in- + capable.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).