What does comparable mean?
Word: Comparable
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Comparable means similar enough in size, amount or quality to be judged fairly together.
Synonyms: similar, equivalent
How do you spell comparable?
Syllables: com - par - a - ble
Tricky part: The silent e of the verb drops out before the suffix. Pupils who keep it write compareable.
Watch out for: compareable, comparible, comperable
Memory tip: Picture the suffix pushing the last letter of the verb out of the way as it arrives.
Comparable in a sentence
Example 1: The rainfall in Mumbai last July was comparable to the figure from the year before.
Example 2: No other cricket ground in the state is comparable with this one.
Example 3: Both laptops have comparable batteries, so choose the cheaper one.
Fun Fact
At its root is the Latin word par, 'equal', which also gave golf its par, the score a good player is expected to match.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
commparable
a) p
b) b
c) r
d) m
Show answer
d) m. Only one m stands before the p.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
Prices at the two stationery shops are aaelocrbpm this year.
a) commendable
b) compatible
c) capable
d) comparable
Show answer
d) comparable. Compatible and commendable would need a t or an n, and capable is three letters too short.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word comparable as used in the sentence:
The two school halls are comparable in size.
a) alike
b) matching
c) different
d) identical
Show answer
c) different. Halls that are not at all the same size are the opposite of these.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning.
1. dependible 2. concievable 3. neglegible 4. comparable
a) able to be imagined or thought of
b) able to be relied on
c) close to something else in value or standard
d) too small to be important
Show answer
c) close to something else in value or standard. Conceivable has e before i, dependable ends in able, and negligible has an i after the l.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Two phones are described as comparable. What can you safely conclude?
a) one was launched well before the other
b) they are about equally good
c) they were made by one company
d) neither of them is worth buying
Show answer
b) they are about equally good
2. Which pair of animals is most comparable in size?
a) a tiger and a mouse
b) a lion and a rabbit
c) a rabbit and an elephant
d) a lion and a tiger
Show answer
d) a lion and a tiger
