# downfall vs downhill

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### downfall
*noun · IPA /ˈdaʊnfɔːl/ · frequency rank #14,109*
A precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth.

### downhill
*adverb · IPA /ˈdaʊnˌhɪl/ · frequency rank #11,880*
Down a slope.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/downfall-vs-downhill