variable
[ˈvɛə.ɹi.ə.bl̩]
"variable" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“variable” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,925 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.
- #5,925
- frequency rank, English
- 8
- letters
- 12
- tracked misspellings
- 4
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Able to vary or be varied.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | variable |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | [ˈvɛə.ɹi.ə.bl̩] |
| Letters | 8 |
| Frequency rank | #5,925 |
| Misspellings tracked | 12 |
| Confusable pairs | 4 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “variable” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for variable is 8 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈvɛə.ɹi.ə.bl̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #5,925 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for variable, with forms such as "avriable", "vairable", and "varaible". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "viable", "variance", "veritable", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed into Middle English in the 14th century from Old French variable, from Latin variare (“to change”), from varius (“different, various”). Equates to English vary + -able. The correct English form is variable, spelled V-A-R-I-A-B-L-E.
Definition
- 1Able to vary or be varied.
- 2Likely to vary.
- 3Marked by diversity or difference.
- 4Having no fixed quantitative value.
- 5Tending to deviate from a normal or recognized type.
Etymology
Borrowed into Middle English in the 14th century from Old French variable, from Latin variare (“to change”), from varius (“different, various”). Equates to English vary + -able.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: avriable,vairable,varaible,variabble,variabel,variablle,varialbe,varibale,variible,varriable,vraiable,vvariable
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of variable - 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.
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
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Using “variable”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is V-A-R-I-A-B-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as [ˈvɛə.ɹi.ə.bl̩] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “viable” - see the side-by-side comparison. variable vs viable
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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.