How to pronounce “able”
Say “able” in 2 beats
able
/ˈeɪbəl/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /eɪbəl/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- abeɪstress
- lebəl
- IPA (American)
- /ˈeɪbəl/
- IPA (British)
- /eɪbəl/
- Respelling
- AY-buhl
- Syllables
- 2 — AB-le
- Stress
- Stress the first syllable: AB-le. “ab” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
- Part of speech
- adjective
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/ˈeɪbəl/
/eɪbəl/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “able” means
- adjective
(usually followed by `to') having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
“able to swim”
- adjective
have the skills and qualifications to do things well
“able teachers”
- adjective
having inherent physical or mental ability or capacity
“able to learn”
Say it in a sentence
“She was finally able to finish the marathon this year.”“able”, answered
How do you pronounce “able”?
“able” is pronounced /ˈeɪbəl/ (AY-buhl) in American English and /eɪbəl/ in British English — 2 syllables, stressed on “ab”. Build it as AB-le, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “able” have?
2: ab · le. The beat lands on the first, “ab”.
Is “able” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˈeɪbəl/ (AY-buhl); British English says /eɪbəl/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “able” mean?
As an adjective: (usually followed by `to') having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something For example: “able to swim” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “able”?
Stress the first syllable: AB-le. “ab” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “able” and see every sound
Record it once and sayit lines your audio up against the target sound by sound — what landed, what slipped, and what it sounded like instead.