unable

/ʌnˈeɪbl̩/

//ʌnˈeɪbl̩// adj

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

"unable" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“unable” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #2,469. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,469
frequency rank, English
1,433
“U” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Not able; lacking a certain ability.

Corpus desk

Index EN-unable · unable · English

unable · rank #2,469 · 9 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,469
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,433
  • PHOTO-FINISH ticket

Nearest frequency peer: ticket (-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 “unable”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “unable” 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).

unable vs uncle
67% similar
unable vs usable
83% similar
unable vs unstable
75% similar

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

Key facts for unable
PropertyValue
Headwordunable
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ʌnˈeɪbl̩/
Letters6
Frequency rank#2,469
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “unable”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).unablelands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “ticket” (#2,468), “upset” (#2,470), “talks” (#2,467). Among 1,433 “U” headwords, “unable” is #2,469. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around unable (IPA /ʌnˈeɪbl̩/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #2,469 among 1,433 “U” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Not able; lacking a certain ability.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for unable, with forms such as "nuable", "uanble", and "unabble". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "uncle", "usable", "unstable", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English unable, unabel, unhable, unhabil, equivalent to un- + able. The correct English form is unable, spelled U-N-A-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Not able; lacking a certain ability.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Are you unable to mind your own business or something?
  2. Fulham switched off as Giggs took a quick corner to Valencia. He played it back to Giggs, whose cross was headed in by Nani with the lurking Rooney unable to add a touch.

Etymology

From Middle English unable, unabel, unhable, unhabil, equivalent to un- + able.

Synonyms

helpless

Antonyms

able

This word in other languages

incapaz(Español)incapable(Français)unfähig(Deutsch)incapaz(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • nuable
  • uanble
  • unabble
  • unabel
  • unablle
  • unalbe
  • unbale
  • unible
  • unnable

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of unable - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

nuable2uanble2unabble1unabel2unablle1unalbe2unbale2unible1
Edit distance from "unable"

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 "unable"?
"unable" is spelled U-N-A-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ʌnˈeɪbl̩/.
What does "unable" mean?
As an adjective, "unable" means: Not able; lacking a certain ability.
What words are commonly confused with "unable"?
"unable" is commonly confused with "uncle", "usable", "unstable". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "unable"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "unable" is /ʌnˈeɪbl̩/. 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 "unable"?
From Middle English unable, unabel, unhable, unhabil, equivalent to un- + 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 "unable", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

ticket#2,468stands#2,466papers#2,457medium#2,454

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

fields9 variantsJewish9 variantsmainly9 variantsguilty9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list