Words with the suffix -able
-able means “capable of; fit for; worthy of”, from Latin -abilis via Old French -able. It makes a word into an adjective.
16 examples of the suffix -able
- washablewash + -ablecapable of being washed
- readableread + -ablefit to be read
- breakablebreak + -ablecapable of being broken
- drinkabledrink + -ablefit to be drunk
- lovablelove + -ableworthy of being loved
- enjoyableenjoy + -ablecapable of being enjoyed
- comfortablecomfort + -ablefit to give comfort
- admirableadmire + -ableworthy of admiration
- acceptableaccept + -ablefit to be accepted
- comparablecompare + -ablecapable of being compared
- considerableconsider + -ableworthy of being considered
- negotiablenegotiate + -ablecapable of being negotiated
- indispensabledispense + -ablenot capable of being dispensed with
- irreplaceablereplace + -ablenot capable of being replaced
- incomprehensiblecomprehend + -ablenot capable of being comprehended
Also: portable
How -able works
The suffix '-able' converts verbs (and some nouns) into adjectives meaning 'capable of, fit for, or worthy of' the base action; a final silent -e is typically dropped before adding '-able' (love → lovable), and the negative prefix 'in-' assimilates to 'il-' before l, 'im-' before m/p/b, and 'ir-' before r. Some words use the variant '-ible' (from Latin -ibilis) with the same meaning, as seen in 'comprehensible' becoming 'incomprehensible.'
Watch out: Words like 'table,' 'fable,' 'cable,' and 'sable' end in the letters -able but are not derived from any English base using this suffix — they are inherited whole from Latin or French.
To see suffixes combine with other parts, try the word dissector and root builder, or test yourself in the vocabulary quiz.
Other common suffixes
- -ible · capable of
- -tion · act
- -ness · state
- -ly · in a specified manner
- -er · one who performs an action
- -ment · result
- -ful · full of
- -less · without
- -ous · having the quality of
- -ity · state
- -ism · doctrine
- -ist · one who practices or believes in
- -ize · to make or cause to become
- -al · of
- -ance · action
- -ence · action
- -ive · tending to
- -ship · state
Questions people ask
What does the suffix -able mean?
-able means “capable of; fit for; worthy of”. It comes from Latin -abilis via Old French -able. The suffix '-able' converts verbs (and some nouns) into adjectives meaning 'capable of, fit for, or worthy of' the base action; a final silent -e is typically dropped before adding '-able' (love → lovable), and the negative prefix 'in-' assimilates to 'il-' before l, 'im-' before m/p/b, and 'ir-' before r. Some words use the variant '-ible' (from Latin -ibilis) with the same meaning, as seen in 'comprehensible' becoming 'incomprehensible.'
What are some examples of words with the suffix -able?
washable, readable, breakable, drinkable, lovable, enjoyable, comfortable, admirable. The full list of 16 examples, with what each one literally means, is above.
Which words look like they have the suffix -able but don’t?
Words like 'table,' 'fable,' 'cable,' and 'sable' end in the letters -able but are not derived from any English base using this suffix — they are inherited whole from Latin or French.
What is a suffix?
A suffix is a word part added to the end of a word. It often changes the part of speech: -ness turns the adjective kind into the noun kindness, and -ly turns quick into the adverb quickly.