The /əbəl/ suffix is one of the most confusing for spelling bee participants. In the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary, there are a whopping 2,900 words that end in -ible, -able, or -eable! Out of these, there are around 1,150 that every speller should know – or at least be able to guess correctly.
While the majority of words ending in /əbəl/ go -able (as opposed to -eable or -ible), there are definitely ways to puzzle out when a word doesn’t. Here are some useful tips:
- For the /zəbəl/ ending:
- Check the base word – if it ends with ‘z’, the word will go ‘zable’ (example: oxidizable)
- Almost all -zable words have the long ‘i’ in them (/īzəbəl/). (only exception: seizable and unseizable)
- Conversely, almost all /īzəbəl/ words end with ‘zable’ (only exception: previsble)
- If the base word ends with ‘se’, the word will almost always go ‘sable’ (exception: fusible / infusible)
- You need not worry about ‘zeable’ or ‘seable’. There is no word that ends ‘zeable’. And all words that end with ‘seable’ have an accepted spelling that goes ‘sable’.
- For the /jəbəl/ ending:
- This sound goes ‘ible’ by default.
- Your only options here are ‘gible’ or ‘geable’. If the word ends with ‘ge’, go ‘geable’ (example: knowledgeable), otherwise go ‘gible’ (example: tangible)
- Two exceptions I know of: expungible and submergible
- For the /pəbəl/ ending:
- This is easy – all words go ‘pable’. Only exceptions are “ropeable” and “discerpible”.
- For the /dəbəl/ ending:
- Most of the words go ‘dable’.
- There are only two exceptions with ‘deable’: “slideable” and “wadeable”
- There are about 18 words that go “dible” (most are those whose Latin root ends with “dibilis”). Do an Advanced Search on Unabridged Merriam Webster for “*dible” to find these words ( you will need to be logged in).
- For the /nəbəl/ ending:
- Most of the words go ‘nable’
- The four base words that are exceptions are: discernible, disponible, exponible, componible.
- For the /ləbəl/ ending:
- Most words go ‘lable’.
- 6 words go -lible, and another 7 go -leable (you will need to be logged into the website to view these)
- For the /kəbəl/ ending:
- Look at the base word – if it ends with ‘k’ or ‘ke’, go ‘kable’, otherwise ‘cable’.
- Only five ‘keable’ exceptions that don’t have altnerate ‘kable’ pronunciations: “makeable”, “bakeable”, “takeable”, “slakeable”, “bikeable”.
- Only one exception where the base word ends with ‘k’ but the word goes ‘cable’: evocable.
- For the /chəbəl/ ending:
- All of them go ‘chable’
- For the /rəbəl/ ending:
- Almost all of them go ‘rable’
- The four exceptions are: “horrible”, “thurible”, “terrible”, “spareable”.
- For the /məbəl/ ending:
- Almost all of them go ‘mable’
- The four exceptions are: “tameable”, “nameable”, “unnameable”, “climbable”
- For the /vəbəl/ ending:
- All of them go ‘vable’
- For the /bəbəl/ ending:
- All of them go ‘bable’
- For the /gəbəl/ ending:
- All the words go ‘gable’
- For the /fəbəl/ ending:
- All but one of the words go ‘fable’ (only exception: laughable)
- For the /shəbəl/ ending:
- Almost all words will go ‘shable’
- There are a few “-tiable” exceptions but most have an alternate /ēəbəl/ pronunciation which should give you a clue. Still, we’ll list them here.
- There are a few “-ciable” exceptions but most have an alternate /ēəbəl/ pronunciation which should give you a clue. Still, we’ll list them here.
- For the /ēəbəl/ ending:
- Almost all go “iable”
- The five base words that are exceptions are: agreeable, permeable, seeable, malleable, and irremeable (words that derive from these base words include: disagreeable, semipermeable, foreseeable, etc.)
- For the /ōəbəl/ ending:
- Always go ‘wable’
- For the /īəbəl/ ending:
- Almost always go “iable”
- The three exceptions are: “eyeable”, “dryable”, “flyable”
- For the /āəbəl/ ending:
- Almost always go ‘ayable’
- Only exception I could find: weighable.
- For the /təbəl/ ending and /səbəl/ ending:
- These one are tricky, and I could not find any pattern.
This leaves two ending that are tricky – the /təbəl/ and /səbəl/ endings: I recommend just memorizing those words. You can access those words and all the words not covered by my rules here.
I’d love feedback on if I missed any words. Happy spelling!