uh-NAY-buhl
/əˈneɪbəl/
unable is pronounced uh-NAY-buhl (/əˈneɪbəl/). Unable is an adjective meaning not able to do something; lacking the ability or means to perform a task. In speech, it’s used to express incapacity or inability, often followed by to-infinitive verbs (e.g., unable to attend). The pronunciation features a stressed initial syllable with a reduced second syllable, giving a clipped, slightly elongated end sound that signals negation.
Unable is an adjective meaning not able to do something; lacking the ability or means to perform a task. In speech, it’s used to express incapacity or inability, often followed by to-infinitive verbs (e.g., unable to attend). The pronunciation features a stressed initial syllable with a reduced second syllable, giving a clipped, slightly elongated end sound that signals negation.
- You might default to saying /ˈʌnˌeɪ.bəl/ with two strong syllables. Fix: keep the second syllable as the primary beat, /ʌnˈeɪ.bəl/. - Some learners flatten the diphthong /eɪ/ to /e/ or /ɛ/; practice with a clear glide from /eɪ/ to /əl/ rather than a straight /l/ tail. - Final /l/ tends to be silent or dark; keep a light, alveolar contact for a clear ending. - In fast speech, reduce the first syllable too much; keep a brief /ʌ/ and then deliver /ˈeɪ/ strongly to signal the word, avoiding a clipped start.
"I’m unable to attend the meeting tomorrow."
"She was unable to finish the project before the deadline."
"They were unable to confirm the reservation due to a system error."
Standard US/UK pronunciation is /ʌnˈeɪ.bəl/ (US) or /ʌnˈeɪ.bəl/ (UK). The primary stress sits on the second syllable: eh-? The initial syllable is a schwa-like /ʌ/ or near-open /ʌ/. The second syllable features a long A diphthong /eɪ/ followed by a light /bəl/ with a modulated /l/. In connected speech you’ll hear the second syllable slightly shortened before a consonant cluster. Practice with: ‘un-EIGH-bəl’.
Common errors include misplacing stress (placing it on the first syllable as /ˈʌnˌeɪ.bəl/), mispronouncing the /eɪ/ as a short /e/ or /ə/; and weakening the final /l/ or turning it into a vowel. Another error is pronouncing /bəl/ as /bəl/ with a heavy /l/ or not linking the /n/ to /eɪ/. Correction: keep the second syllable stressed with /eɪ/ as a clear diphthong, and articulate a light but audible /b/ and /l/ to finish.” ,
US: /ʌnˈeɪ.bəl/ with rhoticity affecting the first vowel and a clear /r/ neither present nor required; UK: /ʌnˈeɪ.bəl/ with less rhotic influence, slightly crisper /l/; AU: /ʌnˈeɪ.bəl/ similar to UK but with a flatter vowel in the first syllable and a more centered final /ɫ/.” ,
The difficulty lies in the two-syllable pattern where the primary stress sits on the second syllable in English, producing /ʌnˈeɪ.bəl/. Learners often tilt the nucleus vowel into the first syllable or reduce the /eɪ/ to a short /e/; also the final /əl/ can blur into a simple /l/ or disappear in rapid speech. Practicing the diphthong /eɪ/ and maintaining a light, audible /b/ and /l/ helps avoid slurring and preserves intelligibility.
Is the second syllable truly stressed in connected speech, or can you reduce it in fast dialogue? In careful speech, you’ll hear clear stress on the second syllable: /ʌnˈeɪ.bəl/. In casual speech, some speakers shift toward /ʌˈneɪ.bəl/ or /əˈneɪ.bəl/ due to fast tempo, but the second syllable generally retains the vowel /eɪ/ and the /b/–/l/ closure remains audible.
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- US: emphasize rhotic clarity without an intrusive r; keep /ɹ/ absent in unable since there is no r in the word; the /æ/ sound is not present; ensure /ʌ/ is open-mid. - UK: slightly shorter /ʌ/ and crisper /eɪ/; avoid adding extra vowel between /n/ and /eɪ/. - AU: warmer vowel shift; keep /eɪ/ stable and ensure the /l/ does not vowelize to /əl/; the final /l/ tends toward a light, retracted /l/.
Unable derives from the negative prefix un- attached to able, with roots in Old French in- and Latin habilis meaning easily handled, suitable, or capable. The form capable originates from Latin capabilis “able to be held, capable,” from capere “to take.” The English word able dates back to the 13th century, while the negating prefix un- was productive in Middle English to form opposites (unlike, unlikeable, unable). The modern sense of lacking the capacity to act evolved over time as English usage shifted from simply “not able” to express inability or incapacity in more nuanced contexts, including medical, legal, and social domains. By Early Modern English, unable commonly appeared in written discourse to denote temporary or permanent lack of capability, and it maintained a straightforward morphology: un- + able, with stress patterns evolving in connected speech as the word is integrated into longer phrases and clauses.
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Words that rhyme with "unable"
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