reliable

/ɹɪˈlaɪəbl̩/

//ɹɪˈlaɪəbl̩// adj

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

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

The verdict

“reliable” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #4,404. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#4,404
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Suitable or fit to be relied on; worthy of dependence, reliance or trust; dependable, trustworthy

Corpus desk

Index EN-reliable · reliable · English

reliable · rank #4,404 · 12 variants · 5 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #4,404
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 5 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH relax

Nearest frequency peer: relax (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “reliable”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “reliable” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

reliable vs reliance
75% similar
reliable vs reliably
88% similar
reliable vs reusable
75% similar

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

Key facts for reliable
PropertyValue
Headwordreliable
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɹɪˈlaɪəbl̩/
Letters8
Frequency rank#4,404
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “reliable” sits in English frequency

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).reliablelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “relax” (#4,403), “rely” (#4,405), “regarded” (#4,402). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around reliable (IPA /ɹɪˈlaɪəbl̩/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #4,404 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for reliable, with forms such as "erliable", "reilable", and "relaible". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "reliance", "reliably", "reusable", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From rely + -able. The correct English form is reliable, spelled R-E-L-I-A-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Suitable or fit to be relied on; worthy of dependence, reliance or trust; dependable, trustworthy
  2. 2
    Such that either a sent packet will reach its destination, even if it requires retransmission, or the sender will be told that it didn't.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. a reliable witness to the truth of the miracles
  2. the best means, and the most reliable pledge, of a higher object

Etymology

From rely + -able.

Synonyms

securedependabletrustworthy

Antonyms

unreliable

This word in other languages

fiable(Español)fiable(Français)verlässlich(Deutsch)fiável(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • erliable
  • reilable
  • relaible
  • reliabble
  • reliabel
  • reliablle
  • relialbe
  • relibale
  • reliible
  • relliable
  • rleiable
  • rreliable

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

erliable2reilable2relaible2reliabble1reliabel2reliablle1relialbe2relibale2
Edit distance from "reliable"

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 "reliable"?
"reliable" is spelled R-E-L-I-A-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈlaɪəbl̩/.
What does "reliable" mean?
As an adjective, "reliable" means: Suitable or fit to be relied on; worthy of dependence, reliance or trust; dependable, trustworthy
What words are commonly confused with "reliable"?
"reliable" is commonly confused with "reliance", "reliably", "reusable". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "reliable"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "reliable" is /ɹɪˈlaɪəbl̩/. 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 "reliable"?
From rely + -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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "reliable", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

regarded#4,402overseas#4,396stopping#4,412lighting#4,391

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

witnesses12 variantseligible12 variantsdisabled12 variantsexpanded12 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "reliable". Here's where to go from here.

  • "reliable" maps to 5 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "reliance". View pair
  • 12 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #4,404 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "R" letter cohort. R–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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