liability

/laɪəˈbɪlɪti/

//laɪəˈbɪlɪti// noun

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

"liability" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“liability” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,516 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#5,516
frequency rank, English
9
letters
13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An obligation, debt or responsibility owed to someone.

Key facts for liability
PropertyValue
Headwordliability
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/laɪəˈbɪlɪti/
Letters9
Frequency rank#5,516
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “liability” 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). liability 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 liability is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /laɪəˈbɪlɪti/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,516 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for liability, with forms such as "ilability", "laibility", and "liabbility". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From liable + -ity. The correct English form is liability, spelled L-I-A-B-I-L-I-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    An obligation, debt or responsibility owed to someone.
  2. 2
    An obligation, debt or responsibility owed to someone.
  3. 3
    A handicap that holds something back, a drawback, someone or something that is a burden to whoever is required to take care of them; a person or action that exposes others to greater risk.
  4. 4
    A handicap that holds something back, a drawback, someone or something that is a burden to whoever is required to take care of them; a person or action that exposes others to greater risk.
  5. 5
    The likelihood of something happening.
  6. 6
    The condition of being susceptible to something.

Etymology

From liable + -ity.

This word in other languages

responsabilidad(Español)responsabilité(Français)Schuld(Deutsch)responsabilidade(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ilability,laibility,liabbility,liabiilty,liabilitty,liabilityy,liabiliyt,liabillity,liabiltiy,liabliity,liaiblity,libaility,lliability

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of liability - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ilability2laibility2liabbility1liabiilty2liabilitty1liabilityy1liabiliyt2liabillity1
Edit distance from "liability"

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 "liability"?
"liability" is spelled L-I-A-B-I-L-I-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /laɪəˈbɪlɪti/.
What does "liability" mean?
As a noun, "liability" means: An obligation, debt or responsibility owed to someone.
What are common misspellings of "liability"?
Common misspellings include "ilability", "laibility", "liabbility", "liabiilty", "liabilitty". The correct spelling is "liability".
How do you pronounce "liability"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "liability" is /laɪəˈbɪlɪti/. 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 "liability"?
From liable + -ity. 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 “liability”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is L-I-A-B-I-L-I-T-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /laɪəˈbɪlɪti/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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