Basic Details
Word: Accountability
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Being responsible for what you do and ready to explain your actions to others.
Synonyms: responsibility, answerability
Antonyms: irresponsibility
How to Spell Accountability
Syllables: ac - count - a - bil - i - ty
Tricky part: When accountable becomes a noun, the able changes to abil before ity. The double c of account stays at the start.
Watch out for: accountibility, acountability, accountabilty
Memory tip: Able turns into ability, so accountable turns into accountability. Spell account, then add ability.
Usage Examples
Example 1: The new class rules are about kindness and accountability.
Example 2: The captain showed accountability when she owned up to the dropped catch.
Example 3: Parents want more accountability from the bus company after the late pick-ups.
Fun Fact
Account and count come from the same Old French verb, which goes back to Latin computare, to reckon. The word computer comes from computare too.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Makeup
Choose the suffix that completes the word:
account____
a) ibility
b) ability
c) ebility
d) abilaty
Show answer
b) ability. Accountable ends in able, so its noun ends in ability.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the correctly spelt word:
a) accountability
b) posibility
c) responsibilty
d) avaliability
Show answer
a) accountability. Responsibility has lost an i, availability has swapped two letters and possibility is short of an s.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
Our principal believes that acountability matters as much as good marks.
a) believes
b) principal
c) acountability
d) marks
Show answer
c) acountability. Every word built on account starts with a double c.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word:
accountability
a) ability
b) freedom
c) responsibility
d) carelessness
Show answer
c) responsibility. Being accountable means being responsible for your actions.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A team captain shows accountability when she ____.
a) blames the coach
b) leaves early
c) admits her mistake and fixes it
d) hides the scorebook
Show answer
c) admits her mistake and fixes it
2. Accountability is the noun from which adjective?
a) countable
b) accountant
c) accounting
d) accountable
Show answer
d) accountable
