probable

/ˈpɹɒbəbl̩/

//ˈpɹɒbəbl̩// adj

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

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

The verdict

“probable” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #9,799. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#9,799
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Likely or most likely to be true.

Corpus desk

Index EN-probable · probable · English

probable · rank #9,799 · 13 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #9,799
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH Preston

Nearest frequency peer: Preston (-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 “probable”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “probable” 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).

probable vs probate
75% similar
probable vs probably
88% similar
probable vs potable
75% similar

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

Key facts for probable
PropertyValue
Headwordprobable
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈpɹɒbəbl̩/
Letters8
Frequency rank#9,799
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “probable”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).probablelands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “Preston” (#9,798), “probation” (#9,800), “prejudice” (#9,797). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “probable” is #9,799. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around probable (IPA /ˈpɹɒbəbl̩/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #9,799 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for probable, with forms such as "porbable", "pprobable", and "prboable". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "probate", "probably", "potable", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English probable, from Old French probable, from Latin probābilis (“that may be proved, credible”), from probāre (“to test, examine”); see probe, probity, prove. Compare recent doublet provable. The correct English form is probable, spelled P-R-O-B-A-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Likely or most likely to be true.
  2. 2
    Likely to happen.
  3. 3
    Supporting, or giving ground for, belief, but not demonstrating.
  4. 4
    Capable of being proved.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. It's probable that it will rain tomorrow.
  2. The probable source of the failure was the mass of feathers in the intake manifold.

Etymology

From Middle English probable, from Old French probable, from Latin probābilis (“that may be proved, credible”), from probāre (“to test, examine”); see probe, probity, prove. Compare recent doublet provable.

Antonyms

improbable

This word in other languages

probable(Español)probable(Français)glaubhaft(Deutsch)provável(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • porbable
  • pprobable
  • prboable
  • proabble
  • probabble
  • probabel
  • probablle
  • probalbe
  • probbable
  • probbale
  • probible
  • prrobable
  • rpobable

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

porbable2pprobable1prboable2proabble2probabble1probabel2probablle1probalbe2
Edit distance from "probable"

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 "probable"?
"probable" is spelled P-R-O-B-A-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɹɒbəbl̩/.
What does "probable" mean?
As an adjective, "probable" means: Likely or most likely to be true.
What words are commonly confused with "probable"?
"probable" is commonly confused with "probate", "probably", "potable". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "probable"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "probable" is /ˈpɹɒbəbl̩/. 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 "probable"?
From Middle English probable, from Old French probable, from Latin probābilis (“that may be proved, credible”), from probāre (“to test, examine”); see probe, probity, prove. Compare recent doublet provable. 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 "probable", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

receptor#9,806mechanic#9,780starving#9,824Johnston#9,773

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

prejudice13 variantspatriotic13 variantsswinging13 variantsimaginary13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list