How to pronounce fault
Say it like FAWLT. Fault 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 fault. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- FAWLT
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Fault pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- FAWLTSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
American vs British pronunciation of fault
American and British speakers say fault in essentially the same way: /fɔlt/ in the US and /fɔːlt/ in the UK.
British respelling: FAWLT.
What does fault mean?
- a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention“he made a bad mistake”“she was quick to point out my errors”
- an imperfection in an object or machine“a flaw caused the crystal to shatter”“if there are any defects you should send it back to the manufacturer”
- the quality of being inadequate or falling short of perfection“they discussed the merits and demerits of her novel”“he knew his own faults much better than she did”
- put or pin the blame on
Where does fault come from?
From Middle English faute, faulte, from Anglo-Norman faute, Old French faute, from Vulgar Latin *fallita (“shortcoming”), feminine of *fallitus, in place of Latin falsus, perfect passive participle of fallō (“deceive”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with fault
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of fault.
Questions about saying fault
How do you pronounce fault?
Say FAWLT. The American pronunciation is /fɔlt/. In British English it is /fɔːlt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in fault?
Fault is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: FAWLT.
Do Americans and Brits say fault the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /fɔlt/ and the British form is /fɔːlt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.