How to pronounce farewell
Say it like fair-WEL. Farewell has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (WEL).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce farewell. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- fair
- WEL
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Farewell pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- fairGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- WELSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of farewell
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: fair-WEL.
What does farewell mean?
- an acknowledgment or expression of goodwill at parting
- the act of departing politely“he disliked long farewells”“he took his leave”
Where does farewell come from?
Dutch vaarwel (“farewell (sadly)”), Danish farvel (“farewell”), Norwegian farvel (“farewell”), Swedish farväl (“farewell”), Faroese farvæl (“goodbye”), Icelandic far vel (“farewell”).
Words that rhyme with farewell
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of farewell.
Questions about saying farewell
How do you pronounce farewell?
Say fair-WEL. The American pronunciation is /ˌfɛrˈwɛl/. In British English it is /ˌfɛəˈwɛl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in farewell?
Farewell has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (WEL). Broken into parts: fair · WEL.
Is farewell pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead. The British form is /ˌfɛəˈwɛl/ (fair-WEL).