fable

\fabl\

/\fabl\/ noun

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

The verdict

“fable” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #16,129 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#16,129
frequency rank, French
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Ce que l’on dit, ce que l’on raconte.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

fable vs fle
60% similar
fable vs face
60% similar
fable vs file
60% similar

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

Key facts for fable
PropertyValue
Headwordfable
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\fabl\
Letters5
Frequency rank#16,129
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “fable” sits in French frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The French entry for fable is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \fabl\. Corpus data places it at rank #16,129 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for fable, with forms such as "afble", "fabble", and "fabel". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "fle", "face", "file", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct French form is fable, spelled F-A-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Ce que l’on dit, ce que l’on raconte.
  2. 2
    Sujet de malins récits.
  3. 3
    Récit imaginaire, c’est-à-dire d’imagination.
  4. 4
    Fausseté ; mensonge ; chose controuvée.
  5. 5
    Récit ayant un caractère mythologique quelconque.
  6. 6
    Récit relatif aux divinités du paganisme.
  7. 7
    Les fables du paganisme, de l’antiquité païenne : Se prend, dans un sens collectif, pour toutes les fables de l’antiquité païenne.
  8. 8
    En poésie épique et dramatique, la suite des faits qui forment une pièce, en tant qu’elle est un travail d’imagination. Sujet d’un poème épique, d’un poème dramatique, d’un roman.
  9. 9
    Apologue, récit en prose ou en vers dans lequel on exprime une vérité, une moralité sous le voile de quelque fiction. Petit récit qui cache une moralité sous le voile d’une fiction et dans lequel d’ordinaire les animaux sont les personnages.

Synonyms

fabulation

This word in other languages

fable(English)apólogo(Español)Fabel(Deutsch)fábula(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: afble,fabble,fabel,fablle,falbe,fbale,ffable

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

afble2fabble1fabel2fablle1falbe2fbale2ffable1
Edit distance from "fable"

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 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "fable"?
"fable" is spelled F-A-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is \fabl\.
What does "fable" mean?
As a noun, "fable" means: Ce que l’on dit, ce que l’on raconte.
What words are commonly confused with "fable"?
"fable" is commonly confused with "fle", "face", "file". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fable"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fable" is \fabl\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "fable" come from?
"fable" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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.

Using “fable”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct French spelling is F-A-B-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \fabl\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “fle” - see the side-by-side comparison. fable vs fle
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list