Collectible or Collectable: Noun vs. Adjective, and Usage in American, Canadian, British and Australian English
By Online Harbour
Updated: 19 June 2024.
Read more: House and Lifestyle
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction: Collectible or Collectable
Unravel the confusion between “collectible” and “collectable”. This guide explains the difference in meaning, parts of speech, and spelling conventions across American, Canadian, British, and Australian English when referring to collector’s items.
When discussing items that are worthy of collecting, you will often encounter two similar but distinct terms: “collectible” and “collectable”. The confusion arises because they have different parts of speech and usages, along with some spelling variations between varieties of English.
This page contains affiliate links. If you click through and purchase an item, Online Harbour may receive a small commission at no cost to you. Products, sales, and deals are subject to price fluctuations over time and may be terminated or sold out.
ADVERTISEMENT
Looking for Flights, Hotels, Apartments, Airport Taxis, Car Rentals? Search, find and book the best deals around the world.
ADVERTISEMENT
Looking for Flights, Hotels, Apartments, Airport Taxis, Car Rentals? Search, find and book the best deals around the world.
The Bottom Line: Collectible or Collectable. Noun vs. Adjective
While the terms “collectible” and “collectable” are technically interchangeable as nouns in some contexts, it’s advisable to use them according to their specific part of speech and follow the spelling conventions of the variety of English you are writing in.
Adhering to these distinctions, using “collectible” as the noun and “collectable” as the adjective in American and Canadian English, while using the collectable spelling for both in Australian and British English, will ensure clarity and alignment with standard usage.