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Are both "tradable" and "tradeable" correct?

English Language & Usage Asked on April 15, 2021

I was wondering whether “tradeable” is the British English version of the American word “tradable”?

Given that the word “trade” ends with an “e”, I compare it to the word “love” which I see more often as “lovable”.

One Answer

I don't think it's British/ American distinction. Tradeable and tradable are the same word having the same meaning.

The suffix -able is often added to verbs (and sometimes nouns) to make adjectives. When the base word ends with a silent e and the suffix -able is appended, then the e is often removed only if its removal doesn't change the pronunciation of the preceding consonant in the base word:

  • trade + able → tradeable or tradable
  • update + able → updateable or updatable
  • love + able → loveable or lovable

However, when the base word ends in -ge or -ce, the e is kept:

  • notice + able → noticeable not *noticable
  • manage + able → manageable not *managable

in the above words, the e is kept because its removal turns /s/ and /d͡ʒ/ to /k/ and /g/, respectively.

In all of the OP's examples, the removal of the e doesn't change the pronunciation, so both forms are correct and acceptable. Which one to use is a matter of personal preference.

Correct answer by Decapitated Soul on April 15, 2021

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