portable

/ˈpɔː(ɹ)təbəl/

//ˈpɔː(ɹ)təbəl// adj

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

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

The verdict

“portable” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #7,484 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#7,484
frequency rank, English
8
letters
13
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Able to be carried or easily moved.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

portable vs portal
75% similar
portable vs portage
75% similar
portable vs potable
88% similar

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

Key facts for portable
PropertyValue
Headwordportable
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈpɔː(ɹ)təbəl/
Letters8
Frequency rank#7,484
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “portable” 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). portable 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 portable is 8 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpɔː(ɹ)təbəl/. Corpus data places it at rank #7,484 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 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 portable, with forms such as "oprtable", "poratble", and "porrtable". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "portal", "portage", "potable", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English portable, from Middle French portable and Latin portābilis. By surface analysis, port (“to carry”) + -able. The correct English form is portable, spelled P-O-R-T-A-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Able to be carried or easily moved.
  2. 2
    Able to be transferred from one organization to another.
  3. 3
    Of software: able to be run on multiple hardware or operating systems.
  4. 4
    Of a program: able to be copied directly from one machine to another without the use of an installer.
  5. 5
    Bearable, endurable.

Etymology

From Middle English portable, from Middle French portable and Latin portābilis. By surface analysis, port (“to carry”) + -able.

Synonyms

loosemobilemovableportableshiftabletransportable

Antonyms

anchoredfixedimmobileimmotileimmovablepermanentstationary

This word in other languages

portátil(Español)portable(Français)portabel(Deutsch)portátil(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: oprtable,poratble,porrtable,portabble,portabel,portablle,portalbe,portbale,portible,porttable,potrable,pportable,protable

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

oprtable2poratble2porrtable1portabble1portabel2portablle1portalbe2portbale2
Edit distance from "portable"

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 "portable"?
"portable" is spelled P-O-R-T-A-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɔː(ɹ)təbəl/.
What does "portable" mean?
As an adjective, "portable" means: Able to be carried or easily moved.
What words are commonly confused with "portable"?
"portable" is commonly confused with "portal", "portage", "potable". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "portable"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "portable" is /ˈpɔː(ɹ)təbəl/. 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 "portable"?
From Middle English portable, from Middle French portable and Latin portābilis. By surface analysis, port (“to carry”) + -able. 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 “portable”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-O-R-T-A-B-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈpɔː(ɹ)təbəl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “portal” - see the side-by-side comparison. portable vs portal
  • 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