Accessible Vs Accessable: Which Spelling Is Correct?

Accessible or accessible, it may be straightforward to be confused when spelling these words. We may even think that they are two accepted words within the English language. It turns out that they are not; one is not even a real word!

The truth is that the correct spelling of this term is accessible; “accessable” is not accepted in the English language; in fact, it is not an accurate word. The reason for this lies within the root “access” and its suffix “ible” as well the context in which the term is used.

When looking at these terms, we are quickly reminded that there are many words that we may be confused about when putting them to use because they are pronounced in a certain way. Another example of such terms is “Responsible” and “Responsable”; the same thing happens. Let’s break this down and see why this happens.

Meaning

The word “accessible” means able to be reached; possible to approach, enter or use. Another meaning for this term is someone or something friendly and easy to talk to; someone considered approachable, capable of being used or seen. Other definitions include: capable of being understood, appreciated, influenced. Lastly, capable and ready for use for people with disabilities.

Grammatical Structure

The word “accessible” is an adjective. This term is structured from the root word “access” and the suffix “ible.” When writing an adjective such as “accessible,” we must keep in mind a few details:

• Adjectives are almost always placed before the noun or pronoun they modify.
• If certain verbs are being used, such as am, be, get, become, seem or appear, then the adjective would follow them in the sentence.
• This also happens when the adjective falls into the perception of the senses (see, feel, taste, smell). In this case, the adjective also follows a verb.

In regards to the suffix “ible,” its meaning is “capable” or “doable.” “Ible” is a variant of “able.” The reason why we use the suffix “ible” instead of “able” in the word accessible is because the root word “access” is derived from Latin origin; it just so happens that when the last sound in the word’s pronunciation is the “s” sound, then the correct suffix to use would be “ible” instead of “able”; making it easier to pronounce.

Etymology

The original composition of the word accessible is in Old Latin “ad,” which means to, and “cedere,” which means to go or move. We see it evolving later on, and we find it in Middle Latin as “accedere,” meaning approach, come to, come near, or enter upon. It continues to develop, and we find it again as “accessus,” meaning coming near, approach, or entrance. Later, in Late Latin as “accessibilis” (we can now appreciate the resemblance with the actual word we use).

From this point, it is found in Middle French as Accessible, and finally in the 14th century as accessible, meaning affording access, capable of being approached or reached.

Usage

When using the word accessible in a sentence, we may want to consider a few details; for instance, Accessible is an adjective; remember that a noun is a word that gathers information; therefore, it must modify a noun. But If you were to need to use the term as a noun itself, you would need to use the derived form “accessibility.”

Synonyms

 Synonyms to help you better understand the concept:

• available
• attainable
• near
• handy
• reachable
• employable
• usable
• the door’s always open
• exposed
• getatable
• obtainable
• open
• possible
• operative
• practicable
• welcoming
• close by
• nearby
• touchable
• penetrable

Antonyms

• inaccessible
• unhandy
• restricted
• useless
• limited

Examples

• John is a very accessible person; he always sits down and listens to your thoughts; we often speak about general topics.
• The Essex building has plenty of accessible exits; it is a very convenient place for a party.
• The accessible door to the left is the best way to reach the store; you may want to use that strategy to save time.
• The theme park has wheelchair-accessible rides at every corner.
• The exit passages in the park are conveniently accessible to everyone over 44 inches tall.
• There is a law that mandates wheelchair-accessible parking spots in every public space.
• The government needs to do more to make sure that all public areas are readily accessible to the disabled.
• The place is not accessible by land, only by ferry.
• Guns are readily accessible to American citizens, but there are mixed feelings amongst people owning guns.
• All of the buses in Fred’s town now have special features to make them accessible to disabled passengers.
• Alcohol was forbidden but accessible during prohibition, a time where the government regulated alcohol consumption.
• The organizers invited the most accessible influencers to speak in the forum about global warming.
• Free information is always easily accessible if you look on the internet, in a book, or if you ask an expert or a teacher.
• These river ways are easily accessible, easy to wade, and easily drifted.
• This accessible path is available to everyone and not to just a select few.
• Wayne is the most friendly and easily accessible police officer in the entire police force.
• This place was only accessible by airplane or boat, not by land, making it usually uncrowded.
• This kind of devotion is accessible to all believers but is extremely hard to come by.
• Unique works of art are only great because they are accessible and understandable by just about everyone.
• The event had to be accessible from the water, have plenty of open space, and most of all, it had to be secure.
• Libraries are not being used as often as before; however, they remain accessible to the general public.

What is the difference between “accessibility” and “access”?

The difference is easy to understand: accessibility is the quality of being reachable or being receptive. Access is called an “uncountable” noun, meaning the idea of access cannot be measured, and its definition is an actual entrance or passage.

What is the difference between “usability” and “accessibility”?

There is a big difference; usability is the capacity something has for being used, whereas accessibility is the capacity of reaching something.

What is the noun form of “accessible?

The noun form of the word “accessible” is “access.” It is considered an uncountable noun, and it means a way to approach or enter a passage, admission, admittance.

Is “accessibilities” an accurate word?

Yes! It may surprise you that the word “accessibilities” is the actual plural form of “accessibility.” It may also surprise you to know that you can find it in a dictionary or search engine.

Final Thoughts

The pronunciation of certain words causes us to become confused when writing them, so it’s easy to get lost when setting out to do so. Seeking the correct way to spell a word, no matter how simple it may seem or how uncontroversial it may be, is always a trait of an organized, prepared person. As to “accessible,” we use this term in our everyday lives, and yet we may sometimes wonder why we spell certain words one way and not another. Seeking out the origin of some comments may help us clarify when we come into these doubts.

Suppose you are just a curious person or are verifying the correct spelling because you are preparing a paper, or just brushing up on spelling skills, I congratulate you. In that case, this proves that you are a responsible, diligent, and well-disciplined person who strives to improve oneself with every inquiry.