English pronunciation · Words Starting with F
Fail Pronunciation
Fail is pronounced FAYL, IPA /ˈfeɪl/.
FAYL
US /ˈfeɪl/ · UK /ˈfeɪl/
Syllables: FAYL (1 syllable)
verb and noun: To not succeed at something, or to stop working as it should.
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Fail in a Sentence
- Two of the three pumps failed during the storm.
- If the first plan fails, we still have the second.
- I did not want to fail the people who had backed me.
Common Mispronunciations of Fail
Not FEL
Stretch the vowel into the ay of day. Cutting it short produces fell, which is a different word in a different tense.
Not FIL
Speakers whose first language has no ay glide often land on the short i of fill. Start at the ay and let it drift towards ee before the l.
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