How to pronounce fail
Say it like FAYL. Fail is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce fail. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- FAYL
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Fail pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- FAYLSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of fail
American and British speakers say fail in essentially the same way: /feɪl/ in the US and /feɪl/ in the UK.
British respelling: FAYL.
What does fail mean?
- fail to do something; leave something undone“She failed to notice that her child was no longer in his crib”“The secretary failed to call the customer and the company lost the account”
- be unsuccessful“Where do today's public schools fail?”“The attempt to rescue the hostages failed miserably”
- disappoint, prove undependable to; abandon, forsake“His sense of smell failed him this time”“His strength finally failed him”
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with fail
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of fail.
Questions about saying fail
How do you pronounce fail?
Say FAYL. The American pronunciation is /feɪl/. In British English it is /feɪl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in fail?
Fail is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: FAYL.
Do Americans and Brits say fail the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /feɪl/ and the British form is /feɪl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.