Certain sets of words in the English language tend to confuse writers. I have found the following to be among them:
LIABLE / LIBEL
These two words do look and sound similar but are not so often confused. Therefore I was a bit surprised to see a writer use liable to mean libel.
The adjective liable usually means either responsible [if you don’t fix that staircase and someone falls because of it, you will be liable] or (used with the preposition to) exposed to some adverse happenstance [if you run down those stairs too fast, you are liable to trip and fall]. In the latter case, the word likely is equally valid [if you are not careful, you are likely to fall].
The word libel, on the other hand, can be either a noun or a verb and usually involves published written or representational material that unjustly harms someone’s reputation.
INCORRECT: You are libel to lose money if you open your restaurant before it is fully staffed.
CORRECT: You are liable to lose money if you open your restaurant before it is fully staffed.
INCORRECT: Liable is neither condoned nor tolerated among responsible publishers.
CORRECT: Libel is neither condoned nor tolerated among responsible publishers.
ALSO CORRECT: You are liable to get sued if you publish that libel.
© 2017 Ann Henry, all rights reserved.