How to Pronounce Fails

To pronounce "fails", say FAILS — one syllable, IPA /feɪlz/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

fails

Tap to hear · American accent

Accent

If an accent sounds the same, your device is missing that voice — it falls back to the closest one.

Speed

Practice: Record & Compare

Record yourself saying fails, then compare with the target. Your audio stays on this device — nothing is uploaded.

1

Syllable

5

Letters

/feɪlz/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “fails”

"fails" is a single-syllable word — say it in one clean beat. It rhymes with entails and travails, if that helps it stick.

Sounds exactly like: fales — easy to mix up when writing.

What does fails mean?

noun

  1. Poor quality; substandard workmanship.

    “The project was full of fail.”

  2. A failure (condition of being unsuccessful)

verb

  1. To be unsuccessful.

    “Throughout my life, I have always failed.”

  2. Not to achieve a particular stated goal. (Usage note: The direct object of this word is usually an infinitive.)

    “The truck failed to start.”

noun

  1. A piece of turf cut from grassland.

Synonyms

fall on one's faceflunk

Antonyms

succeed

Words that rhyme with fails

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

entailstravailsdetailsgaleswailstailstalesnailstrailssailsbalesprevails

Related words

flunkmiscarryneglectdiebetraybreak

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "fails"?▾

"Fails" has one syllable.

What is the IPA transcription of "fails"?▾

The IPA transcription of "fails" is /feɪlz/.

What does "fails" mean?▾

Fails: Poor quality; substandard workmanship.

Want the definition, translations into 8 languages, and read-aloud for full sentences?

Open “fails” in the full dictionary →