Wordwyrt

readable

/ˈɹidəbəl/REE-duh-buhl
/ˈɹidəbəl/REE-duh-buhl

Meaningable to be read

Common meaning: easy or pleasant to read

Journey through time

  1. Proto-Indo-European*radh-‘assist, advise, interpret, read’source
  2. Old Englishrédan‘to discern, advise, read’sourceB&T
  3. Middle Englishredensource
  4. Englishread‘to look at and understand writing’
  5. Englishformed in English from readreadable‘easy or pleasant to read’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Formed in English from read + -able.

Dictionary: Skeat (1898), RADH, p.493 · scan

Source words

  • rédan Old English · source word “to discern, to advise”

Building blocks are an automatic split · open in app