respectable
[ɹɪˈspɛk.tə.bɫ̩]adjective, noun
respectable is spelled R-E-S-P-E-C-T-A-B-L-E: 11 letters and 4 syllables. It appears 5.1 times per million words in written English, the 11,015th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, respectable means “Deserving respect” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in respectable?
| Letters | 11: R-E-S-P-E-C-T-A-B-L-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 5.1 times per million words; the 11,015th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is respectable?
Respectable appears 5.1 times per million words in written English, the 11,015th 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 respectable?
- US [ɹɪˈspɛk.tə.bɫ̩]
- US [ɹə-]
Respectable has 4 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-respectable.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of respectable
- more respectable comparative
- most respectable superlative
- respectables plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does respectable mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Deserving respect.
His accomplishments, morals, loyalty, and stature make him a respectable person.
- 2
Decent; satisfactory.
Turn up to the interview wearing something respectable. She plays a respectable game of chess. He got a respectable B+ on his last exam.
- 3
Moderately well-to-do.
noun
- 1
A person who is respectable.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Respectable in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | respectable , convenable, pas mal |
| German | angesehen, geachtet |
| Portuguese | respeitável , razoável |
| Spanish | respetable |
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 respectable come from?
From respect + -able.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).