be capable of vs may

be capable of

may

noun
  • The hawthorn bush or its blossoms. 

verb
  • Expressing a wish (with present subjunctive effect). 

  • To be able to go. 

  • To have permission to, be allowed. Used in granting permission and in questions to make polite requests. 

  • Expressing a present possibility; possibly. 

  • To gather may, or flowers in general. 

  • Used in modesty, courtesy, or concession, or to soften a question or remark. 

  • To celebrate May Day. 

How often have the words be capable of and may occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )