Word part · Latin suffix
The Latin suffix -able
Means: can be, or able to be.
At a glance
- Part
- -able
- Meaning
- can be, or able to be
- Layer
- Latin: Prefixes, suffixes and roots behind many school and book words.
- Also spelled
- ible
-able usually follows a whole word (wash, washable). -ible usually follows a root that cannot stand alone (vis, visible).
Example words
Read each word, then its sum: the parts that build it, and what they mean together.
Colors:prefixroot or basesuffix
- wash (root or base)+able (suffix)→washable
can be washed
- break (root or base)+able (suffix)→breakable
can be broken
- love (root or base)+able (suffix)→lovable
easy to love
love + able: drop the e → lovable
- flex (root or base)+ible (suffix)→flexible
able to bend without breaking
- comfort (root or base)+able (suffix)→comfortable
giving comfort; easy to relax in
- un (prefix)+break (root or base)+able (suffix)→unbreakable
cannot be broken
- re (prefix)+use (root or base)+able (suffix)→reusable
can be used again
re + use + able: drop the e → reusable
- inter (prefix)+change (root or base)+able (suffix)→interchangeable
able to be swapped with each other
- port (root or base)+able (suffix)→portable
easy to carry
- pre (prefix)+dict (root or base)+able (suffix)→predictable
can be predicted
- un (prefix)+pre (prefix)+dict (root or base)+able (suffix)→unpredictable
cannot be predicted
- con (prefix)+vert (root or base)+ible (suffix)→convertible
can be changed; a car with a roof that folds down
Original word lists and meanings written by Literacy Trail.
Taught alongside
Parts that share a lesson with -able.
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