TAK-suh-buhl
/ˈtæksəbəl/
taxable is pronounced TAK-suh-buhl (/ˈtæksəbəl/). Taxable means subject to tax or capable of being taxed. It describes income, goods, or activities that are within the net of taxation under law. The term is commonly used in legal, financial, and policy contexts to indicate taxable status or thresholds that determine tax obligations.
Taxable means subject to tax or capable of being taxed. It describes income, goods, or activities that are within the net of taxation under law. The term is commonly used in legal, financial, and policy contexts to indicate taxable status or thresholds that determine tax obligations.
"The government announced a taxable income threshold for the new policy."
"Certain benefits are taxable and must be reported on your annual return."
"Businesses must assess whether their revenue from online sales is taxable in different jurisdictions."
Pronounce as /ˈtæk.sə.bəl/. Primary stress on the first syllable: TAX-suh-buhl. The middle syllable is a weak, unstressed schwa, and the final -ble is a light, almost syllabic 'bəl' where the /l/ blends with a light /ə/ or a tiny /əl/. Keep the lips relaxed, and avoid over-enunciating the middle syllable. IPA: US/UK alike around /ˈtæk.sə.bəl/; Australian follows the same pattern with the same vowels. Audio reference: you can compare with Cambridge or Forvo pronunciations for natural native timing.
Common errors include stressing the wrong syllable (say TAX-uh-bul by misplacing stress on the second or third syllable) and over-pronouncing the middle schwa. Another frequent issue is turning the final -ble into a full ‘blee’ or ‘bile’ sound instead of the gentle -bəl. Correct by maintaining primary stress on the first syllable, using a short, lax schwa in the middle, and finishing with a light, almost syllabic L at the end: /ˈtæk.sə.bəl/.
US/UK share /ˈtæk.sə.bəl/ with minimal vowel variation; the main difference is rhoticity in some speakers affecting preceding r in connectedSpeech, which is not present in taxable. UK tends to a slightly shorter /ə/ and crisper final /əl/. Australian English follows /ˈtæksəˌbəl/ with a more open vowel in the first syllable and a slightly stronger final syllable. Overall, all three avoid strong double-stress and keep the middle schwa light.
The difficulty lies in the sequence TAX- (strong onset with a tense vowel), the weak middle schwa that can be swallowed or over-articulated, and the final -ble which often becomes an unstressed, light -bə/ -bəl sound. Coordinating rapid speech and maintaining correct stress ensures it doesn’t slide into ‘taxablee’ or ‘taxble’. Focus on a crisp /tæk/ onset, a neutral /ə/ in the middle, and a light final /bəl/.
A unique consideration for tax-related talk is preserving the short, quick middle /ə/ even under fast legalistic speech, so it doesn’t blend into a full vowel or delete-ess—a common error when someone says /ˈtæksə.bəl/ with a prolonged second syllable. Practicing the exact rhythm helps: TAX-suh-buhl, with a quick, almost inaudible middle syllable and a soft final -əl.
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Taxable derives from tax, which comes from the Old French taxe, from Late Latin taxa, tax. The root ultimately traces to the Latin taxare, meaning to estimate, value, or assess. The concept of taxation in legal and governmental contexts evolved through medieval Europe, where rulers assessed taxes on land, income, or goods. Over time, English adopted tax to refer to the levy itself and taxable as the property or activity liable to tax. The word appears in English texts from the late medieval/early modern period, with ‘tax’ and its adjective forms becoming common in financial and legal discourse by the 16th–18th centuries. The modern sense of taxable as “subject to tax” was consolidated as tax regimes expanded from simple levies to comprehensive income, sales, and property taxes, requiring clear descriptors for liability. The evolution reflects expanding government roles in revenue collection and the need for precise language to distinguish taxable items, persons, or activities from those exempt or non-taxable.
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Words that rhyme with "taxable"
-ble sounds
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