{"id":154,"date":"2023-07-02T05:19:09","date_gmt":"2023-07-02T05:19:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.mightywords.co\/?p=154"},"modified":"2023-08-09T22:12:44","modified_gmt":"2023-08-09T22:12:44","slug":"the-%c9%99b%c9%99l-ending","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.mightywords.co\/?p=154","title":{"rendered":"The \/\u0259b\u0259l\/ Ending"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The \/\u0259b\u0259l\/ 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 &#8211; or at least be able to guess correctly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While the majority of words ending in \/\u0259b\u0259l\/ go -able (as opposed to -eable or -ible), there are definitely ways to puzzle out when a word doesn&#8217;t. Here are some useful tips:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>For the \/z\u0259b\u0259l\/ ending:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Check the base word &#8211; if it ends with &#8216;z&#8217;, the word will go &#8216;zable&#8217; (example: oxidizable)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Almost all -zable words have the long &#8216;i&#8217; in them (\/\u012bz\u0259b\u0259l\/). (only exception: seizable and unseizable)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Conversely, almost all \/\u012bz\u0259b\u0259l\/ words end with &#8216;zable&#8217; (only exception: previsble)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If the base word ends with &#8216;se&#8217;, the word will almost always go &#8216;sable&#8217;  (exception: fusible \/ infusible)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You need not worry about &#8216;zeable&#8217; or &#8216;seable&#8217;. There is no word that ends &#8216;zeable&#8217;. And all words that end with &#8216;seable&#8217; have an accepted spelling that goes &#8216;sable&#8217;.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For the \/j\u0259b\u0259l\/ ending:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This sound goes &#8216;ible&#8217; by default.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li> Your only options here are &#8216;gible&#8217; or &#8216;geable&#8217;. If the word ends with &#8216;ge&#8217;, go &#8216;geable&#8217; (example: knowledgeable), otherwise go &#8216;gible&#8217; (example: tangible)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Two exceptions I know of: expungible and submergible<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For the \/p\u0259b\u0259l\/ ending:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This is easy &#8211; all words go &#8216;pable&#8217;. Only exceptions are &#8220;ropeable&#8221; and &#8220;discerpible&#8221;.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For the \/d\u0259b\u0259l\/ ending:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Most of the words go &#8216;dable&#8217;.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>There are only two exceptions with &#8216;deable&#8217;: &#8220;slideable&#8221; and &#8220;wadeable&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>There are about 18 words that go &#8220;dible&#8221; (most are those whose Latin root ends with &#8220;dibilis&#8221;). Do an Advanced Search on <a href=\"https:\/\/unabridged.m-w.com\/\">Unabridged Merriam Webster<\/a> for &#8220;*dible&#8221; to find these <a href=\"https:\/\/unabridged.merriam-webster.com\/unabridged\/*dible\">words<\/a> ( you will need to be logged in). <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For the \/n\u0259b\u0259l\/ ending:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Most of the words go &#8216;nable&#8217;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The four base words that are <a href=\"https:\/\/unabridged.merriam-webster.com\/unabridged\/*nible\">exceptions<\/a> are: discernible, disponible, exponible, componible. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For the \/l\u0259b\u0259l\/ ending:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Most words go &#8216;lable&#8217;.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/unabridged.merriam-webster.com\/unabridged\/*lible\">6 words go -lible<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/unabridged.merriam-webster.com\/unabridged\/*leable\">another 7 go -leable<\/a> (you will need to be logged into the website to view these)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For the \/k\u0259b\u0259l\/ ending:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Look at the base word &#8211; if it ends with &#8216;k&#8217; or &#8216;ke&#8217;, go &#8216;kable&#8217;, otherwise &#8216;cable&#8217;.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Only <a href=\"https:\/\/unabridged.merriam-webster.com\/unabridged\/*keable\">five &#8216;keable&#8217; exceptions<\/a> that don&#8217;t have altnerate &#8216;kable&#8217; pronunciations: &#8220;makeable&#8221;, &#8220;bakeable&#8221;, &#8220;takeable&#8221;, &#8220;slakeable&#8221;, &#8220;bikeable&#8221;.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Only one exception where the base word ends with &#8216;k&#8217; but the word goes &#8216;cable&#8217;: evocable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For the \/ch\u0259b\u0259l\/ ending:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>All of them go &#8216;chable&#8217;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For the \/r\u0259b\u0259l\/ ending:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Almost all of them go &#8216;rable&#8217;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/unabridged.merriam-webster.com\/unabridged\/*rible\">four exceptions<\/a> are: &#8220;horrible&#8221;, &#8220;thurible&#8221;, &#8220;terrible&#8221;, &#8220;spareable&#8221;.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For the \/m\u0259b\u0259l\/ ending:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Almost all of them go &#8216;mable&#8217;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/unabridged.merriam-webster.com\/unabridged\/*meable\">four exceptions<\/a> are: &#8220;tameable&#8221;, &#8220;nameable&#8221;, &#8220;unnameable&#8221;, &#8220;climbable&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For the \/v\u0259b\u0259l\/ ending:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>All of them go &#8216;vable&#8217;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For the \/b\u0259b\u0259l\/ ending:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>All of them go &#8216;bable&#8217;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For the \/g\u0259b\u0259l\/ ending:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>All the words go &#8216;gable&#8217;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For the \/f\u0259b\u0259l\/ ending:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>All but one of the words go &#8216;fable&#8217; (only exception: laughable)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For the \/sh\u0259b\u0259l\/ ending:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Almost all words will go &#8216;shable&#8217;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>There are a few &#8220;-tiable&#8221; exceptions but most have an alternate \/\u0113\u0259b\u0259l\/ pronunciation which should give you a clue. Still, we&#8217;ll list them <a href=\"https:\/\/unabridged.merriam-webster.com\/unabridged\/*tiable\">here<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>There are a few &#8220;-ciable&#8221; exceptions but most have an alternate \/\u0113\u0259b\u0259l\/ pronunciation which should give you a clue. Still, we&#8217;ll list them <a href=\"https:\/\/unabridged.merriam-webster.com\/unabridged\/*ciable\">here<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For the \/\u0113\u0259b\u0259l\/ ending:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Almost all go &#8220;iable&#8221; <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>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.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For the \/\u014d\u0259b\u0259l\/ ending:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Always go &#8216;wable&#8217;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For the \/\u012b\u0259b\u0259l\/ ending:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Almost always go &#8220;iable&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The three exceptions are: &#8220;eyeable&#8221;, &#8220;dryable&#8221;, &#8220;flyable&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For the \/\u0101\u0259b\u0259l\/ ending:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Almost always go &#8216;ayable&#8217;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Only exception I could find: weighable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For the \/t\u0259b\u0259l\/ ending and \/s\u0259b\u0259l\/ ending:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>These one are tricky, and I could not find any pattern. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This leaves two ending that are tricky &#8211; the  \/t\u0259b\u0259l\/ and \/s\u0259b\u0259l\/ endings: I recommend just memorizing those words. You can access those words and all the words not covered by my rules <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1UD8JfC1kQe7WLuqXNH5dd4Fb7TOhfbNBWmHQNrJWHtg\/edit?usp=sharing\">here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;d love feedback on if I missed any words. Happy spelling!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The \/\u0259b\u0259l\/ 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 &#8211; or at least be able to guess correctly. While the majority&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-154","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-suffixes","category-word-patterns"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.mightywords.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.mightywords.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.mightywords.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.mightywords.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.mightywords.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=154"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/blog.mightywords.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":179,"href":"https:\/\/blog.mightywords.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154\/revisions\/179"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.mightywords.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=154"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.mightywords.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=154"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.mightywords.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=154"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}