Spelling Question

[Erin]

Trying to create a survey and I want the users to rate the product''s SALABILITY or SALEABILITY?
The first spelling just looks weird to me.

 

[Lauren8211]

Saleability

 

[Erin]

but thats not what Webster says

 

[aprilcait]

That's odd. That would read as : "SAAALability" or "SALability" to me instead of: "SALEability". Man, is the English language weird.

 

[Elmorton]

Oh dear God...I literally spent 6 weeks of a course in descriptive grammar where we figured out what words can have the suffix "-able" added to it and which can't. Thinking this knowledge was completely useless, I've filed it into the deep dark depths of my brain where it is never to be retrieved again.

But here's my thinking:

1) I would re-word the usage and just say "The ability for the item to sell is estimated at..."

2) Have you tried sellability instead? Sell is a verb and sale is a noun, and I'm trying to think of a case where -ability works with a noun and I can't think of anything..whereas something like "availability" avail works like a verb.

3)hypenate "sale-ability"

4) or, if you really want it to be one word, I'd leave the "e" in saleability, because to me, the root of salability is "sal" not "sale" which makes me think that it's related to wetness (saliva, salimander) not selling.

Also - Webster's isn't really a reliable source for correct spelling in this situation, because dictionaries offer spellings of words how they're commonly used and spelled, which includes common mistakes. Words get into the dictionary because people use them, but that doesn't mean the common usage and/or accompanying spelling is choice for the situation. So a word like "salability" seems to me to be a word that is derived from business jargon, not necessarily a real, valid term with one accepted spelling (sortof like some teenagers write hos and others write hoes when they're taking about women they dislike - is either correct or wrong? Not really...since it's spoken and technically slang, there isn't really one correct spelling).

 

[meresal]

What if you use, "profitability"...???

Otherwise, I googled the word and most other websites use the "sale-" prefix... except for Wiki that shows it as both spellings.

 

[diane5006]

From dictionary.com

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/saleability

No results found for saleability.
Did you mean salability (in dictionary) or Scalability (in encyclopedia)?
Dictionary suggestions:
salability
sale ability
sale-ability
salvability
scalability
slagability
Sanability
malleability
solubility
solvability
satiability
lability
isolability
liability
settleability
suability

 

[Erin]

Thanks for all the replies!!!

I really need to keep it one word to be consistent rather than "The ability for the item to sell is estimated at..."
"Profitability" is a different animal than whether or not it will sell.
Sellability doesn''t seem to be a word either.

So either I stay "correct" with salability or put sale-ability. I know when I read salability I''m not entirely certain what the question is.
Stupid English language.

 

[diane5006]

sale-ability...is good per dictionary.com