How to pronounce facile
Say it like FAS-ul. Facile has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (FAS).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce facile. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- FAS
- ul
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Facile pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- FASSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- ulKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of facile
American and British speakers say facile in essentially the same way: /ˈfæsəl/ in the US and /ˈfæsaɪl/ in the UK.
British respelling: FAS-eyel.
What does facile mean?
- Effortless, fluent (of work, abilities etc.).“Her writing was facile and articulate.”
- Lazy, simplistic, superficial (especially of explanations, discussions etc.).“He arrived with a facile understanding of her works.”
- Of a reaction or other process, taking place readily.“Decarboxylation of beta-keto acids is facile.”
Where does facile come from?
Borrowed from Middle French facile, from Latin facilis (“easy to do, easy, doable”), from Latin facere (“to do, make”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- (“to do, put”) Compare Spanish and Portuguese fácil (“easy”), Catalan fàcil, Romanian facil.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with facile
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of facile.
Questions about saying facile
How do you pronounce facile?
Say FAS-ul. The American pronunciation is /ˈfæsəl/. In British English it is /ˈfæsaɪl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in facile?
Facile has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (FAS). Broken into parts: FAS · ul.
Do Americans and Brits say facile the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈfæsəl/ and the British form is /ˈfæsaɪl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.