Achievable means capable of being accomplished or attained. It implies feasibility within given conditions, resources, or time, and is often used to describe goals or outcomes that are realistic and within reach. The term combines the idea of attainability with practicality, signaling that success is possible with appropriate effort.
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- You: You’ll hear the danger of misplacing stress on the first syllable, turning it into a-CHIE-va-ble. Fix: place primary stress on the second syllable and keep the /iː/ long. - You: Some speakers compress the middle /iː.və/ into /ɪvə/ or blur /viː/ together, losing the /tʃiː/ clarity. Fix: hold the /iː/ clearly before the /v/ onset, make /v/ audible. - You: Ending: people shorten /əbl/ to /ə/. Fix: finish with a crisp /bl̩/ or /bl/ to ensure the syllabic l is present and the word does not trail off.
- US: Keep rhoticity neutral; the final /l/ often syllabic as /bl̩/. Maintain a strong /iː/ in /tʃiː/. Stress the second syllable: /əˈtʃiː.və.bəl/; allow a clear, quick transition to /v/. - UK: Slightly shorter vowels; final -ble often lighter and may not be fully syllabic. Sound quality remains /əˈtʃiː.və.bl/; ensure the /v/ is voiced and the /b/ is not aspirated too strongly. - AU: Similar to US, but may feature a more centralized schwa in the first syllable and a flatter /ɪ/ in the second syllable for some speakers. Final /l/ can be softer; maintain the /tʃiː/ duration.
"Setting a weekly study goal is achievable if you allocate time and stay consistent."
"The project is ambitious, but with careful planning it is still achievable within the year."
"For most learners, steady daily practice makes improvement more achievable than sporadic bursts."
"The new policy makes many improvements achievable without requiring drastic changes in behavior."
The adjective achievable derives from the verb achieve, with the suffix -able designating capability. The root achieve comes from Middle English acheiven, borrowed from Old French achever (to complete, accomplish) which itself comes from Latin ad- ‘toward’ + capere ‘take, seize, grasp’. The sense evolved from “to take hold of successfully” to “capable of being accomplished.” The -able suffix entered English in the late Middle Ages to form adjectives conveying ability or suitability. Over time, achievable carried the nuance of feasibility closely tied to practical attainability, not just theoretical possibility. By the 19th and 20th centuries, it became common in goal-setting and planning discourse to indicate realism and practicality in outcomes, especially in educational, corporate, and personal development contexts. First known uses align with discussions of project feasibility and personal aims becoming realistically within reach through effort and resources, reflecting a shift from ambitious idealism to measured attainability. Historically, the word has maintained a stable meaning across varieties of English, with usage driven by contexts where practicality and probability of success are emphasized.
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "achievable" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "achievable" and show contrast in usage.
📚 Vocabulary tip: Learning synonyms and antonyms helps you understand nuanced differences in meaning and improves your word choice in speaking and writing.
Words that rhyme with "achievable"
-ity sounds
-ble sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
🎵 Rhyme tip: Practicing with rhyming words helps you master similar sound patterns and improves your overall pronunciation accuracy.
Pronunciation is /əˈtʃiː.və.bəl/ (uh-CHEEV-uh-buhl). Primary stress is on the second syllable: /ˈtʃiː/. Break it into four phonemes: schwa, ch sound /tʃ/, long /iː/ vowel, and the -ble ending /bəɫ/ or /bl̩/. Start with a soft, relaxed first syllable, then land the /tʃiː/ cluster, followed by /və/ with a reduced vowel, and finish with a light /bəl/ or syllabic /l/. Visualize lips rounding slightly for /v/ and keep the jaw relaxed during the final syllabic /l/.
Common errors include stressing the wrong syllable (placing main stress on the first or third syllable), pronouncing the second syllable as /ˈtʃaɪ/ like ‘chi’ instead of /ˈtʃiː/ giving a conflated /tʃiː/ + /və/; and rushing the final /bl/ making it sound like /bəl/ or dropping the -ble ending entirely. To correct: keep primary stress on the second syllable, ensure a clear /iː/ vowel in /tʃiː/, insert a light /və/ before the /bl̩/ or /bl/, and finish with a crisp, syllabic /l/.
US typically features /əˈtʃiː.və.bəl/ with a clear schwa in the first syllable and a syllabic final /l/. UK tends to a slightly shorter first syllable and a lighter /ə/ in the final, with non-rhoticity not affecting the word’s internal vowels, and some speakers may de-emphasize the final /l/. Australian often has a clipped second syllable with a short /iː/ and a very light, sometimes non-syllabic final /l/. Across all, the main stress remains on the second syllable, but vowel quality and rhoticity vary subtly by region.
The main challenges are the four-syllable rhythm with a strong middle stress, the long /iː/ in /tʃiː/, and the final /əbl/ or /əbl̩/ cluster that can reduce to /əbl/ or a syllabic /l/ depending on speaker. Coordinating the tongue for /tʃ/ and maintaining a relaxed schwa in the first syllable while not over-articulating the -ble ending demands precise muscle control. Practicing slow, deliberate enunciation helps stabilize the sequence.
A unique point is the transition between /tʃiː/ and /v/, where the tongue must move quickly from the front-palate /tʃ/ groove into the labiodental /v/. This bite-sized gliding from a tense palatal sound into a voiced labiodental fricative tests your precision on the /iː/ duration and the following /v/ onset, creating the characteristic ‘cheev-uh-bul’ rhythm.
🗣️ Voice search tip: These questions are optimized for voice search. Try asking your voice assistant any of these questions about "achievable"!
- Shadowing: Listen to native pronunciations and repeat in real-time, aiming for the second-syllable stress. Use a slow speed first. - Minimal pairs: compare achievable with retrievable, believable, achievable vs acheivable (incorrect spelling but common mispronunciation) to lock in proper /tʃiː/ and /vəl/ endings. - Rhythm: Clap on syllable boundaries: a-CHIE-va-ble with a strong beat on /ˈtʃiː/; practice at slow, normal, fast tempos. - Stress practice: Do 3 sentences with this word, alternating emphasis to feel natural vs formal. - Recording: Record yourself saying the word in phrases, then listen for length of /iː/ and clarity of the final /l/. Compare with reference recordings.
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