Able describes possessing the power, skill, or means to do something. It also functions as a common modal-like adjective indicating capability. In everyday use, it signals potential rather than certainty and can modify nouns or whole clauses (e.g., an able worker, she was able to finish the task).
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"You’re able to solve this puzzle if you focus."
"He is able, through training, to run a marathon."
"We’ll be able to attend the meeting after lunch."
"If the plan works, she’ll be able to join us later."
Able comes from Old English ȃgelæfan (to enable, to be able) and from the Proto-Germanic root *alg- meaning ‘sufficient’ or ‘capable.’ In Middle English, forms like an able man appeared with the sense of being capable. The modern word consolidated in late Old English to mean ‘having power, ability, or fitness’ and extended metaphorically to mean ‘suitable’ or ‘capable of being done.’ The word is related to similar terms in German (OK, able) and Dutch (able) through the Germanic family, sharing the idea of capacity. First widely attested in texts around the 12th–14th centuries, able evolved from a verb-adjective blend to a standalone adjective used in various syntactic slots, including predicate and attributive positions, and later, in modern English, as a modal-like complement indicating possibility (e.g., able to do something).
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "able" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "able" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "able"
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Pronounce as two syllables: /ˈeɪ.bəl/. Start with a stressed diphthong /eɪ/ as in 'say,' then a soft, schwa-like or light /ə/ before the final /l/; the second syllable is unstressed. In careful speech you’ll hear a clear /b/ onset before the final /əl/, but in rapid speech it often reduces to /ˈeɪ.bəl/ with a lighter ending. IPA reference: US /ˈeɪ.bəl/, UK /ˈeɪ.bəl/, AU /ˈeɪ.bəl/.
Two frequent errors are pronouncing it as one syllable (e.g., /eɪl/ or /eɪb/ without the final schwa) and misplacing the /l/ or voicing the final consonant too strongly. Correction: keep the first syllable as /ˈeɪ/ with length and then glide into a relaxed /bəɫ/ or /bəl/, ending with a light /l/ (not a dark, strongly articulated L). Ensure the middle /b/ is a true stop, not a fricative. IPA guidance: /ˈeɪ.bəl/.
US tends to a rhotic, clear /r/ absence in the word itself, but the diphthong remains /eɪ/. UK often features a crisper /ə/ in the second syllable, with slightly shorter second vowel. Australian pronunciation mirrors UK tendencies but can be broader and less dental; sometimes the /ə/ reduces more. Across accents, the first syllable is stressed in all; the primary variation is the quality and length of the second syllable’s vowel and the vowel reduction in rapid speech. IPA: US /ˈeɪ.bəl/, UK /ˈeɪ.bəl/, AU /ˈeɪ.bəl/.
The difficulty lies in maintaining two distinct syllables with accurate vowel quality: the stressed /eɪ/ diphthong and the final /əl/ with a light, quick schwa before an /l/. Many speakers reduce /ə/ too much or blend to /eɪl/ inadvertently. It’s also easy to vocalize a stronger /l/ in the second syllable, making it sound like /ˈeɪ.bəl/ with a hard /l/. Practicing deliberate syllable boundary and a soft, airy /ə/ helps.
Yes: the second syllable often behaves like a schwa‑l cluster, and you should avoid adding extra consonant sounds between /b/ and the final /l/. The typical pattern is a light /ə/ before /l/, not an overt vowel or extra /l/. This makes it distinct from words like 'able-bodied' whereSpeaking fast may merge /ə/ with the following /b/ leading to /ˈeɪ.bl̩/ in some casual speech.
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