4 syllables: ex, cu, sa, ble. Stress on cu.
ik-SKYOO-zuh-buhl
/ɪksˈkjuzəbəl/
excusable is pronounced ik-SKYOO-zuh-buhl (/ɪksˈkjuzəbəl/). It has four syllables (ex-cu-sa-ble), with the stress on "cu". Excusable describes something that can be justified or forgiven, often because mitigating circumstances or human error reduce fault. It conveys allowance rather than endorsement, suggesting that the lapse may be understandable rather than entirely excused. In common usage it marks a degree of leniency rather than absolution, applicable to behavior, mistakes, or oversights.
Excusable describes something that can be justified or forgiven, often because mitigating circumstances or human error reduce fault. It conveys allowance rather than endorsement, suggesting that the lapse may be understandable rather than entirely excused. In common usage it marks a degree of leniency rather than absolution, applicable to behavior, mistakes, or oversights.
"Her tardiness was perhaps excusable given the traffic accident that blocked the road."
"The judge ruled that the delay was excusable under the circumstances."
"Some mistakes are minor and excusable in the context of learning a new skill."
Pronounce as /ɪkˈskuː.zə.bəl/ (US/UK/AU). The main stress falls on the second syllable: ex-CU-sa-ble. Start with a quick “ihk” sound, then an elongated “skew” (like ‘skew’ with a long u), then a soft ‘zuh,’ and finish with a light 'bəl.' Think: ihk-SKYOO-zuh-buhl, but the actual IPA is clearer: /ɪkˈskjuː.zə.bəl/ in most varieties. Mouth position: bring the tongue to a high central position for /ɪk/ then raise the tongue for /skjuː/ as in 'shew' with a y-glide, lips neutral or slightly rounded for /juː/; the final /zə/ is a soft schwa with a z-voice, and /bəl/ ends with a light, quick l. Audio reference: any standard dictionary with audio; Pronounce is a recommended resource for native-like pronunciation.
Common errors include misplacing the primary stress (trying ex-CU-sa-ble as if on the first syllable), mispronouncing /ɪk/ as /ɛk/ or /ɪk/ as /eɪk/, and confusing the /juː/ sequence with a hard /ju/ or /juː/ without the y-glide. Another frequent slip is devoicing or weakly articulating the final /l/ in casual speech. Correction tips: keep the second syllable stressed and ensure the /juː/ is a smooth /skjuː/ rather than /skuː/ or /skjuː/. Practice breaking into three parts: /ɪk/ + /ˈskjuː/ + /zə.bəl/ and use minimal pairs to fix the vowel glide and final syllable clarity.
In US/UK/AU, the core is /ɪkˈskjuː.zə.bəl/. The main differences lie in /ˈskjuː/ vs /ˈskjuː/ variation; rhotic accents may influence the quality of the final syllable a touch due to r-coloring in surrounding vowels, but excusable remains non-rhotic in pronunciation of the word itself; the Australian pronunciation can have a slightly broader vowel for /ə/ and more rounded lips for /juː/. The /juː/ cluster often lands as a smooth glide with a subtle y-sound, especially in careful speech. Overall, the melody is similar, with stress on the second syllable. IPA remains the same across accents, but vowel length and coloring differ subtly.
Because it combines a rare /kˈskjuː/ cluster and an unstressed final -ble with a subtle /ə/ schwa that can quickly reduce in fast speech. The /juː/ glide after /sk/ requires a precise articulation to avoid merging into /skoo/ or /skuː/. Additionally, the secondary syllable carries the main stress, which can surprise learners who expect an ex- prefix emphasis. Focusing on the /juː/ glide, keeping the vowel in /ə/ stable, and articulating the final /l/ clearly helps.
A common search query asks whether the /juː/ in /skjuː/ is a true “y” sound or a glide. The sound is a y-glide that you pronounce as a light /j/ onset into the /uː/ vowel, not a full consonant. In careful speech, you should start with /skj/ then glide into /uː/. So the sequence is /sk/ + /j/ + /uː/ clearly, yielding /skˈjuː/ rather than /skuː/; this ensures the second syllable carries the primary stress and cleanly transitions into /zə/ and /bəl/.
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- US: preserve the rhotic neutralization; the /ɪ/ is short; keep /skjuː/ crisp and rounded; final /əl/ lightly articulated. - UK: slightly crisper vowel transitions; ensure /juː/ has a clean y-glide; final /l/ can be more syllabic in careful speech. - AU: similar to US/UK but often with broader, more open vowels in the non-stressed syllables; keep the /ə/ as a reduced schwa; maintain the glide to /uː/ before the z; ensure vowel qualities remain distinct. Reference IPA: /ɪkˈskjuː.zə.bəl/ across dialects. Tips: practice with a mirror to monitor lip rounding and jaw openness; use minimal pairs like “cue” vs “cube” to feel the /juː/ glide.
Excusable comes from the Late Latin excusabilis, from excusare ‘to excuse, to justify,’ itself from ex- ‘out’ + causa ‘a cause, reason’ shading into ‘excuse’ in English by the 16th century. The root causa appears in many Romance languages as reason or cause, evolving into the English concept of a justification or defense. The form -able signals capability or suitability, borrowed into English from French or Latin-based morphology as part of the evolving dictionary of adjectives indicating possible or allowable states. The notion of excusing has been present since Middle English, but the precise legal and moral nuance of “excusable” as a descriptor for fault or leniency solidified in modern usage as social and legal systems formalized explanations for behavior that reduces culpability. First known uses cluster in legal and moral discourses where mitigating factors transform otherwise blameworthy acts into excusable ones. In everyday speech, excusable has broadened to cover minor oversights and mistakes that are understandable within particular contexts. The semantic shift reflects a broadening of the concept from strictly legal/official language to common parlance, where empathy and practical judgment interplay with standards of accountability.
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Words that rhyme with "excusable"
-ble sounds
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