Basic Details
Word: Countable
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Able to be counted. In grammar, a countable noun is one that has a plural and can be used with numbers, like book or chair.
Antonyms: uncountable, countless
How to Spell Countable
Syllables: count - a - ble
Tricky part: It is count plus able, so the ending is able, not ible. Students also write countabel.
Watch out for: countible, countabel, countabble
Memory tip: If you are able to count it, it is count-able. The word says exactly what it means.
Usage Examples
Example 1: Apple is a countable noun, but rice is not.
Example 2: The stars visible to the naked eye are countable, though it would take all night.
Example 3: We say many marbles because marble is countable.
Fun Fact
Some nouns are both: paper is uncountable when it means the material, but countable when it means a newspaper, as in two papers.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Makeup
Choose the only word here that takes the suffix able to form a real word.
able
a) count
b) terror
c) force
d) sense
Show answer
a) count. Count takes able as it is; force and sense go with forcible and sensible, and terror with terrible, all ending in ible.
Word Connection
Choose the word opposite in meaning to countable as used in the sentence:
In this exercise, underline every countable noun, such as pencil or bottle, in the passage about the market.
a) common
b) proper
c) plural
d) uncountable
Show answer
d) uncountable. Nouns are either countable or uncountable, so uncountable is the opposite.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
Unlike the sand on the path, the pebbles were ctnoaulbe, and Arjun found there were exactly forty.
a) notable
b) accountable
c) countable
d) constable
Show answer
c) countable. Pebbles you can count one by one are countable; constable would need an s, and accountable an extra a and c.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these is a countable noun?
a) milk
b) air
c) water
d) chair
Show answer
d) chair
2. How many ____ are there on the table?
a) butter
b) milk
c) sugar
d) apples
Show answer
d) apples
