Credible means believable or convincing, as in a credible alibi. Creditable means deserving credit or praise, as in a creditable effort that falls just short of brilliant. Both words come from the Latin credere, to believe, but credible is about whether something can be believed, while creditable is about whether it deserves praise.
The core difference
Credible means believable; creditable means deserving credit or praise.
- credible — able to be believed; convincing: The witness gave a credible account of what happened that evening.
- creditable — bringing credit or honour; respectable: She gave a creditable performance despite only a week of rehearsal.
How to tell them apart
Both words descend from the Latin credere, "to believe", the same root behind credit and credence. Credible asks whether a claim, source or plan can be believed, so it is used for alibis, witnesses, plans and threats. Creditable asks whether an effort or performance deserves credit, so it is used for results that are respectable or commendable, even if not outstanding — a creditable third place, for instance.
The mix-up usually happens because the two words look so alike and both carry a sense of approval. A quick check: if you mean "I believe this", reach for credible; if you mean "this deserves praise", reach for creditable. Creditable can also, less commonly, describe something believable, but the "deserving credit" sense is by far the more useful one to keep separate from credible.
