Pronunciation

How to pronounce “capable

“capable” is pronounced /ˈkeɪpəbəl/ (KAY-puh-buhl) in American English and /keɪpəbəl/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “cap”.
The sound

Say “capable” in 3 beats

Say it like this

capable

/ˈkeɪpəbəl/

The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /keɪpəbəl/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.

3 beats
  1. capkeɪstress
  2. ab
  3. lebəl
IPA (American)
/ˈkeɪpəbəl/
IPA (British)
/keɪpəbəl/
Respelling
KAY-puh-buhl
Syllables
3 — CAP-ab-le
Stress
Stress the first syllable: CAP-ab-le. “cap” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Part of speech
adjective
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈkeɪpəbəl/

British

/keɪpəbəl/

No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.

Meaning

What “capable” means

  1. adjective

    (usually followed by `of') having capacity or ability

    capable of winning

  2. adjective

    possibly accepting or permitting

    a passage capable of misinterpretation

  3. adjective

    (followed by `of') having the temperament or inclination for

    no one believed her capable of murder

Say it in a sentence

She is perfectly capable of fixing the bike herself.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

6 sounds, in the order you say them

Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.

Questions

capable”, answered

How do you pronounce “capable”?

“capable” is pronounced /ˈkeɪpəbəl/ (KAY-puh-buhl) in American English and /keɪpəbəl/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “cap”. Build it as CAP-ab-le, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “capable” have?

3: cap · ab · le. The beat lands on the first, “cap”.

Is “capable” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈkeɪpəbəl/ (KAY-puh-buhl); British English says /keɪpəbəl/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “capable” mean?

As an adjective: (usually followed by `of') having capacity or ability For example: “capable of winning” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “capable”?

Stress the first syllable: CAP-ab-le. “cap” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “capable” 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.