Pronunciation

How to pronounce “fall

“fall” is pronounced /fɔl/ (FAWL) in American English and /fɔːl/ in British English, and /fɑl/ is also accepted — one syllable.
The sound

Say “fall” in one beat

Say it like this

fall

/fɔl/

The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /fɔːl/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.

1 beat
  1. fallfɔl
IPA (American)
/fɔl/
IPA (British)
/fɔːl/
Also accepted
/fɑl/
Respelling
FAWL
Syllables
1 — fall
Stress
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /fɔl/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Part of speech
noun, verb
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/fɔl/

British

/fɔːl/

No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.

Meaning

What “fall” means

  1. noun

    the season when the leaves fall from the trees

    in the fall of 1973

  2. noun

    a sudden drop from an upright position

    he had a nasty spill on the ice

  3. noun

    the lapse of mankind into sinfulness because of the sin of Adam and Eve

    women have been blamed ever since the Fall

Say it in a sentence

The leaves begin to fall early in this part of the country.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

3 sounds, in the order you say them

Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.

Questions

fall”, answered

How do you pronounce “fall”?

“fall” is pronounced /fɔl/ (FAWL) in American English and /fɔːl/ in British English, and /fɑl/ is also accepted — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /fɔl/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.

How many syllables does “fall” have?

One, despite the 1 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /fɔl/ — a single beat.

Is “fall” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /fɔl/ (FAWL); British English says /fɔːl/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “fall” mean?

As a noun: the season when the leaves fall from the trees For example: “in the fall of 1973” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “fall”?

One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /fɔl/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.

Practise this word

Now say “fall” and see every sound

Record it once and sayit lines your audio up against the target sound by sound — what landed, what slipped, and what it sounded like instead.