Style: 'possible' after 'possibility'

Writers often confuse possible (an adjective) and possibility (a noun), sometimes even producing the clumsy repetition "possibility possible." That redundancy slows the sentence and blurs the grammatical role of the word.

Below: clear rules, straightforward patterns, many natural examples from work, school, and casual contexts, and quick rewrites you can use immediately. Spacing and hyphenation tips and a short checklist help you proof fast.

Quick answer: Which to use - possible or possibility?

Use possible when you need an adjective; use possibility when you need a noun. Don't stack them together ("possibility possible"). Pick one structure and rewrite for clarity.

Adjective: possible - "a possible solution", "It is possible that..."
Noun: possibility - "the possibility of rain", "There is a possibility that..."
Avoid redundancy: rewrite "possibility possible" as "the possibility of..." or "it is possible that..."

Core explanation: adjective vs. noun

Possible describes something (an adjective). Possibility names the chance itself (a noun). Both refer to likelihood, but they play different grammatical roles.

Adjective patterns: possible + noun; it/is + possible + (that/infinitive)
Noun patterns: possibility + of + -ing; possibility + that + clause

Usage: Possible (adj): "That's a possible solution."
Usage: Possibility (noun): "There is a possibility of delays."

Common sentence patterns and how to choose

Three reliable templates cover most needs: "It is possible that + clause", "There is a possibility of + -ing", and "a possible + noun". Match meaning to pattern: use possibility to name a chance, possible to describe something as able to happen.

"It is possible that the meeting will be canceled." (clause)
"There is a possibility of the meeting being canceled." (emphasize the chance)
"A possible cause is a supplier delay." (modify a noun)

Wrong: There is a possibility possible that we will finish on time.
Right: It is possible that we will finish on time.

Spacing, hyphenation, and typographic slips

Some errors are typographic: misspellings like "possibilty" (missing an i) or fused tokens from bad find/replace. Neither possible nor possibility needs a hyphen on its own.

Only hyphenate when forming a clear compound adjective before a noun - and even then, rephrase if it sounds clumsy.

Spelling check: possibility (correct) - common misspelling: possibilty
Don't hyphenate "possible" unless you deliberately form a compound adjective; prefer rephrasing
If you find "possibility possible", rewrite rather than patch spacing

Typo fix: "common mistakes possibilty_possible" → "common mistakes: possibility vs. possible"
Style fix: Avoid "possible-looking solution" → use "a solution that looks possible" or "a plausible solution"

Real usage and tone: formal vs. casual choices

"It is possible that" and "there is a possibility of" are fine in formal writing, but "may" or "might" is usually clearer and leaner. Casual speech favors contractions: "It's possible" or "we may".

In business writing, pick the form that matches emphasis: use possibility to highlight risk; use possible to describe options or plausible outcomes.

Formal: "There is a possibility that the results are biased."
Neutral/concise: "The results may be biased."
Casual: "It's possible we'll grab dinner later."

Examples

Work

"It is possible that the client will request additional features."
"There's a possibility of scope change, so document requirements carefully."
"Possible delays from the supplier mean we should add a buffer to the timeline."

School

"It's possible to solve that equation using substitution."
"There is a possibility that temperature affected the experiment."
"The possibility of extra credit encouraged students to revise their papers."

Casual

"It's possible we'll meet up after the movie."
"There's a possibility of snow this weekend, so bring a jacket."
"Possible spoiler: the detective is the culprit."

Try your own sentence

Test the whole sentence rather than the phrase alone; context usually makes the right choice clear.

The most common mistake: "possibility possible" and quick fixes

People sometimes tack an adjective onto a noun phrase out of uncertainty: "possibility possible". Fix it by choosing a noun phrase, an adjective phrase, or a modal and sticking to that pattern.

If you want to emphasize the chance: "the possibility of + -ing" or "the possibility that + clause".
If you want to describe something as able to happen: use "possible" before a noun or after a linking verb.
When in doubt, prefer concise modals: "may" or "might".

Wrong: There is a possibility possible for the project to be completed on time.
Right: It is possible that the project will be completed on time.
Wrong: The possibility possible of the company expanding into new markets is exciting.
Right: The possibility of the company expanding into new markets is exciting.
Wrong: She sees the possibility possible of a promotion next year.
Right: She sees the possibility of a promotion next year.
Wrong: We face the possibility possible of missing the deadline.
Right: We face the possibility of missing the deadline.
Wrong: There's a possibility possible that the meeting will be canceled.
Right: There's a possibility that the meeting will be canceled.
Wrong: The possibility possible of success is higher with this plan.
Right: The possibility of success is higher with this plan.

Help: how to rewrite your sentence in three fast steps

1) Decide if you need a noun (the chance) or an adjective (describing something). 2) Use the matching pattern: "possibility of/that" for a noun; "possible + noun" or "it is possible that" for an adjective. 3) Shorten: consider "may/might" or a stronger verb.

Quick test: replace the phrase with "may". If the sentence keeps its meaning, a modal is usually the clearest fix.

Step 1: Naming the chance? Use "possibility".
Step 2: Describing an outcome? Use "possible" or "it is possible that...".
Step 3: Can you shorten with "may" or "might"? Do it for clarity.

Rewrite:
Original: "There is a possibility possible that the app will crash during the update." → "The app might crash during the update."
Rewrite:
Original: "We have the possibility possible to finish early if everyone works late." → "We may finish early if everyone works late."
Rewrite:
Original: "There is a possibility possible of the meeting being rescheduled." → "The meeting may be rescheduled."

Memory trick and fast heuristics

Mnemonic: "Adjective = able → possible; Noun = name → possibility." If the word names the chance, it's a noun; if it describes something, it's an adjective.

"May" test: swap in "may" for the whole phrase - if it works, consider the modal.
If you find both words together, delete one and rephrase.
Avoid hyphenating "possible"; prefer rephrasing a compound adjective.

Similar mistakes to watch for

Other adjective/noun pairs cause the same error: probable/probability, potential/potentiality (rare), and likely/likelihood. Also watch may/might versus maybe: maybe is an adverb; may is a modal verb.

probable (adj) vs. probability (noun)
potential (adj) vs. potential (noun) - "potential" can be both; check the role
maybe (adv) vs. may be (verb phrase)

Wrong: It is probability that she will win.
Right: It is probable that she will win. / There is a probability that she will win.
Wrong: Maybe there will be extra credit. (use with caution)
Right: There may be extra credit. - or keep "Maybe there will be extra credit" when "maybe" acts as an adverb.

FAQ

Should I use "possible" or "possibility" in a formal report?

Either is fine depending on role: use possibility to name a chance ("the possibility of delay") and possible to describe something ("a possible delay" or "it is possible that the delivery will be late"). For concision, prefer "may" or "might" when appropriate.

Is "there is a possibility possible" ever correct?

No. That stacking is redundant. Use "There is a possibility that...", "It is possible that...", or a modal like "The project may be delayed."

Which is shorter and clearer: "it is possible that" or "there is a possibility that"?

"It is possible that" is usually shorter and more direct. For even tighter prose, use "may" or "might". Reserve "the possibility of" when you need the noun form or to emphasize risk.

How do I fix "possibilty_possible" typed into my document?

Correct the spelling to "possibility", then decide whether the sentence needs "possibility" or "possible" and delete the other. If both appeared by mistake, rephrase to one of the safe templates.

Can I use "possible" before a gerund (verb-ing)?

No - "possible" modifies nouns. For gerunds use "the possibility of + -ing" (e.g., "the possibility of winning", not "the possible winning"). Or use "might/may" with a clause.

Still unsure about a sentence?

Paste the sentence into the checker widget above for instant suggestions. It flags redundancies like "possibility possible" and offers concise rewrites that match formal, neutral, or casual tones.