sensible

/ˈsɛn.sɪ.bəl/

//ˈsɛn.sɪ.bəl// adj

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

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

The verdict

“sensible” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #7,393. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#7,393
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Acting with or showing good sense; able to make good judgements based on reason or wisdom, or reflecting such ability.

Corpus desk

Index EN-sensible · sensible · English

sensible · rank #7,393 · 13 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #7,393
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH sequel

Nearest frequency peer: sequel (+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 “sensible”

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

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “sensible” 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).

sensible vs sensibly
88% similar
sensible vs senile
75% similar

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

Key facts for sensible
PropertyValue
Headwordsensible
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈsɛn.sɪ.bəl/
Letters8
Frequency rank#7,393
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “sensible” sits in English frequency

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).sensible lands 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. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around sensible (IPA /ˈsɛn.sɪ.bəl/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #7,393 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for sensible, with forms such as "esnsible", "senisble", and "sennsible". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "sensibly", "senile", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin sēnsibilis (“perceptible by the senses, having feeling, sensible”), from sentiō (“to feel, perceive”). The correct English form is sensible, spelled S-E-N-S-I-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Acting with or showing good sense; able to make good judgements based on reason or wisdom, or reflecting such ability.
  2. 2
    Characterized more by usefulness, practicality, or comfort than by attractiveness, formality, or fashionableness, especially of clothing.
  3. 3
    Able to be sensed by the senses or the psyche; able to be perceived.
  4. 4
    Able to feel or perceive.
  5. 5
    Liable to external impression; easily affected; sensitive.
  6. 6
    Of or pertaining to the senses; sensory.
  7. 7
    Cognizant; having the perception of something; aware of something.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. They ask questions of someone who thinks he's got something sensible to say on some matter when actually he hasn't.
  2. I only wear high heels on formal occasions; otherwise, I prefer sensible shoes.

Etymology

From Latin sēnsibilis (“perceptible by the senses, having feeling, sensible”), from sentiō (“to feel, perceive”).

This word in other languages

razonable(Español)sensible(Français)wahrnehmbar(Deutsch)sensato(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • esnsible
  • senisble
  • sennsible
  • sensable
  • sensbile
  • sensibble
  • sensibel
  • sensiblle
  • sensilbe
  • senssible
  • sesnible
  • snesible
  • ssensible

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

esnsible2senisble2sennsible1sensable1sensbile2sensibble1sensibel2sensiblle1
Edit distance from "sensible"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "sensible"?
"sensible" is spelled S-E-N-S-I-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɛn.sɪ.bəl/.
What does "sensible" mean?
As an adjective, "sensible" means: Acting with or showing good sense; able to make good judgements based on reason or wisdom, or reflecting such ability.
What words are commonly confused with "sensible"?
"sensible" is commonly confused with "sensibly", "senile". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "sensible"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sensible" is /ˈsɛn.sɪ.bəl/. 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 "sensible"?
From Latin sēnsibilis (“perceptible by the senses, having feeling, sensible”), from sentiō (“to feel, perceive”). 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 "sensible", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

seasonal#7,391shifting#7,396spinning#7,399Stanford#7,400

Similar misspelling depth

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

regulated13 variantstownship13 variantswritings13 variantsirrelevant13 variants

What to do next

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

  • "sensible" maps to 2 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "sensibly". View pair
  • 13 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #7,393 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "S" letter cohort. S–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