How to pronounce fallback
Say it like FAWL-bak. Fallback has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (FAWL).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce fallback. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- FAWL
- bak
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Fallback pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- FAWLSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
- bakGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
American vs British pronunciation of fallback
American and British speakers say fallback in essentially the same way: /ˈfɔlˌbæk/ in the US and /ˈfɔːlˌbæk/ in the UK.
British respelling: FAWL-bak.
What does fallback mean?
- An act of falling back.“A failure of one of the rocket's first-stage engines just after liftoff would result in a destructive pad fallback.”
- A backup plan or contingency strategy; an alternative which can be used if something goes wrong with the main plan; a recourse.“As a fallback, I suppose we can use typewriters if the word processing system fails.”
- A reduction in bitumen softening point, sometimes called refluxing or overheating, in a relatively closed container.
- That can be resorted to as a fallback.“a fallback plan”
Where does fallback come from?
From the verb fall back.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with fallback
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of fallback.
Questions about saying fallback
How do you pronounce fallback?
Say FAWL-bak. The American pronunciation is /ˈfɔlˌbæk/. In British English it is /ˈfɔːlˌbæk/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in fallback?
Fallback has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (FAWL). Broken into parts: FAWL · bak.
Do Americans and Brits say fallback the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈfɔlˌbæk/ and the British form is /ˈfɔːlˌbæk/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.