How to pronounce fishtail
Say it like FISH-tayl. Fishtail has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (FISH).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce fishtail. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- FISH
- tayl
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Fishtail pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- FISHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- taylKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of fishtail
American and British speakers say fishtail in essentially the same way: /ˈfɪʃteɪl/ in the US and /ˈfɪʃteɪl/ in the UK.
British respelling: FISH-tayl.
What does fishtail mean?
- The tail of a fish, or an object resembling this.
- The skidding of the back of a vehicle from side to side.
- A kind of chisel with a flared blade.
- To swing the back of a vehicle (originally an aircraft) from side to side.“As we approached the runway, the pilot fishtailed slightly to reduce landing speed.”
- To cause the back of (a vehicle) to swing from side to side.
- To move with the tail swinging from side to side in this way.
Where does fishtail come from?
From Middle English fisch tayle, equivalent to fish + tail.
Questions about saying fishtail
How do you pronounce fishtail?
Say FISH-tayl. The American pronunciation is /ˈfɪʃteɪl/. In British English it is /ˈfɪʃteɪl/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in fishtail?
Fishtail has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (FISH). Broken into parts: FISH · tayl.
Do Americans and Brits say fishtail the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈfɪʃteɪl/ and the British form is /ˈfɪʃteɪl/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.