Why ‘manageable’ keeps its ‘e’ but ‘advisable’ doesn’t: Mastering the ‘-able’ spelling confusion

Many students struggle with spelling words that end in “-able.” Some words, like “noticeable” and “marriageable,” keep the vowel from the original word, while others, like “curable” and “advisable,” drop it. This inconsistency can be confusing, but once you understand the rules, spelling these words correctly becomes much easier.

Understanding the Patterns in ‘-able’ words

English follows certain patterns when forming “-able” words, though there are some exceptions. Here’s what you need to know:

1. Keep the final “e” when it affects pronunciation

If removing the final “e” would change the way the word is pronounced, then the “e” is kept.

• Examples:
  • Notice → noticeable (Without “e,” it would be “noticable,” which changes pronunciation.)
  • Manage → manageable (Without “e,” it would be “managable,” which sounds incorrect.)
  • Change → changeable
  • agree → agreeable
  • Replace → replaceable
  • Trace → traceable

2. Drop the final “e” when it doesn’t affect pronunciation

When adding “-able” does not change pronunciation, the final “e” is dropped.

• Examples:
  • Cure → curable
  • Advise → advisable
  • Excite → excitable
  • Desire → desirable
  • Believe → believable
  • Sense → sensible
  • Consume → consumable
  • Move → movable
  • Prove → provable

ALSO READ

• How to pluralise compound nouns in English
• How to change polar questions to reported speech
• An effective guide to the mastery of English stress
• The ‘a’ in ‘swAp’ is pronounced like the ‘o’ in ‘hOt’, same for ‘swAllow’, ‘squad’, ‘squat’
• Differences between cause and course, coarse and coerce

3. Words ending in “y” or “ge” tend to keep the Vowel

When a word ends in “y” or “-ge,” the final vowel is often kept to make pronunciation smoother.

• Examples:
  • Marry → marriageable
  • Manage → manageable
  • Enlarge → enlargeable
  • Use → useable (though “usable” is more common)
  • Damage → damageable

4. Some ‘-able’ words are just exceptions

English, as always, has some irregular words that do not follow the usual patterns.

• Examples:
  • Argue → arguable (Drops “e” even though it affects pronunciation slightly.)
  • Judge → judgeable (Keeps “e” even though some similar words drop it.)
  • Like → likable (American spelling) vs. Likeable (British spelling)
  • Live → livable (American spelling) vs. Liveable (British spelling)

How to adapt and improve your spelling

1. Look at the base word: If removing the final vowel affects pronunciation, keep it.
2. Pay attention to “ge” and “y” endings: These often keep their vowels.
3. Use a dictionary when in doubt: Some words have irregular spellings.
4. Practice with examples: The more you see and use these words, the easier they become.

With regular practice, spelling “-able” words correctly will become second nature. Keep learning, and don’t hesitate to check a dictionary when unsure—English is full of surprises.