What does liable mean?
Word: Liable
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Liable means having a strong chance of doing or being affected by something, usually something unwanted. In law it also means responsible for paying a cost.
How do you spell liable?
Syllables: li - a - ble
Tricky part: Said quickly, the word can lose its middle syllable. Keep all three, because the a in the middle has to be written.
Watch out for: lible, lieble
Memory tip: Count the beats on three fingers as you say it: the middle finger stands for the a.
Liable in a sentence
Example 1: Long speeches are liable to send small children to sleep.
Example 2: Low-lying lanes near the river are liable to waterlogging in July.
Example 3: If you rush your work, you are liable to make careless slips.
Fun Fact
It may come from the French lier, 'to bind'. Someone liable for a cost was, in a way, tied to it, and the sense of having a strong chance of something grew up later.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters to complete the word:
l_abl_
a) i, e
b) i, a
c) e, e
d) y, e
Show answer
a) i, e. The opening sound is the eye sound in lion, and the end matches table.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
Anything left out on the terrace during the monsoon is liabble to get wet, so Mum moves the cushions indoors before every evening shower.
a) monsoon
b) liabble
c) cushions
d) terrace
Show answer
b) liabble. A single b is all that this word needs.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word liable as used in the sentence:
The old wooden gate is liable to stick in damp weather.
a) apt
b) prone
c) inclined
d) unlikely
Show answer
d) unlikely. Apt, prone and inclined all agree with the word; unlikely says the gate would not stick.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is misspelt. Choose what it means.
1. dependible 2. liable 3. responsible 4. probable
a) able to be trusted to do what is needed
b) expected to happen or to be true
c) at risk of something unwanted
d) having a duty to look after someone
Show answer
a) able to be trusted to do what is needed. Dependable ends in able, as depend and able suggest.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A sign on the bus says: Timings are liable to change. What should passengers understand?
a) the bus has been taken off this route
b) the bus runs only at these set times
c) the bus will never run late again
d) the bus may not always run at these times
Show answer
d) the bus may not always run at these times
2. Which thing is most liable to melt in a school bag on a hot day?
a) a wooden pencil
b) a bar of chocolate
c) a steel ruler
d) a glass marble
Show answer
b) a bar of chocolate
