Practical or Practicable?

Posted by: Josef Essberger

Let’s see why so many native English speakers confuse these two adjectives

Let’s try to understand the difference between these two words.

practical (adjective): useful and suitable for a particular purpose

• I love your kitchen. It’s really practical. Everything is in the right place, and at the right height.

practicable (adjective):  able to be done; can be put into practice

• Your idea about making a new car park is not practicable. There is not enough space.

Note that there are a few other meanings for “practical”.

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Posted by Josef Essberger January 2009
Contributor: Josef Essberger, founder of EnglishClub. Originally from London, England, Josef is the author of several books for learners of English including English Prepositions List and Learn English in 7.

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11 comments

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