-ible

Podcast 1 · Introduction

-ible

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

suffix (adjective-forming)

Pronunciation

ih-bul  /ɪb(ə)l/

Definition

A suffix used to form adjectives meaning 'able to be' or 'capable of being' — as in possible (able to happen), visible (able to be seen), flexible (able to be bent), and audible (able to be heard). Closely related to the suffix -able.

Plain meaning

-ible is a word-ending that turns a Latin root into an adjective meaning 'can be done' or 'is possible'. Visible means can be seen. Flexible means can be bent. Terrible originally meant able to cause terror. Learning when to use -ible versus -able is one of English spelling's trickier challenges.

Register

Suffix, not a standalone word. Words ending in -ible are typically formal, Latinate, and found across all registers. They often correspond to nouns ending in -ibility (visibility, flexibility, credibility).