fail

/feɪl/

//feɪl// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"fail" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“fail” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,441 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#2,441
frequency rank, English
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To be unsuccessful.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

fail vs fi
50% similar
fail vs FL
0% similar
fail vs far
50% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for fail
PropertyValue
Headwordfail
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/feɪl/
Letters4
Frequency rank#2,441
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “fail” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). fail lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for fail is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /feɪl/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,441 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 15 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for fail, with forms such as "afil", "faill", and "fali". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "fi", "FL", "far", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English failen, borrowed from Old French falir, from Vulgar Latin *fallire, alteration of Latin fallere (“to deceive, disappoint”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰāl- (“to lie, deceive”) or Proto-Indo-European *(s)gʷʰh₂el- (“to stumble”).… The correct English form is fail, spelled F-A-I-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    To be unsuccessful.
  2. 2
    Not to achieve a particular stated goal. (Usage note: The direct object of this word is usually an infinitive.)
  3. 3
    To neglect.
  4. 4
    Of a machine, etc.: to cease to operate correctly.
  5. 5
    To be wanting to, to be insufficient for, to disappoint, to desert; to disappoint one's expectations.
  6. 6
    To receive one or more non-passing grades in academic pursuits.
  7. 7
    To give a student a non-passing grade in an academic endeavour.
  8. 8
    To miss attaining; to lose.
  9. 9
    To be wanting; to fall short; to be or become deficient in any measure or degree up to total absence.
  10. 10
    To be affected with want; to come short; to lack; to be deficient or unprovided; used with of.
  11. 11
    To fall away; to become diminished; to decline; to decay; to sink.
  12. 12
    To deteriorate in respect to vigour, activity, resources, etc.; to become weaker.
  13. 13
    To perish; to die; used of a person.
  14. 14
    To err in judgment; to be mistaken.
  15. 15
    To become unable to meet one's engagements; especially, to be unable to pay one's debts or discharge one's business obligation; to become bankrupt or insolvent.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English failen, borrowed from Old French falir, from Vulgar Latin *fallire, alteration of Latin fallere (“to deceive, disappoint”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰāl- (“to lie, deceive”) or Proto-Indo-European *(s)gʷʰh₂el- (“to stumble”). Compare Alemannic German fääle (“to lack”), Cimbrian béelan, véelan (“to fail”), veln (“to be absent, missing”), Dutch falen, feilen (“to fail, miss”), German fallieren, fehlen (“to fail, miss, lack”), Danish fejle (“to fail, err”), Swedish fallera (“to fail, break, malfunction”), Spanish fallar (“to fail, miss”).

Synonyms

miscarryfoundercome to noughtcome to nothingcrash and burnfall flatfall on one's facego downhillgo down the toiletgo to potgo to the dogsgo up in flamesgo up in smokedie in the asseverything one touches turns to shitgo to hellgo to shitflunkgobombbustconktank

Antonyms

succeed

This word in other languages

fracasar(Español)échouer(Français)scheitern(Deutsch)falhar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: afil,faill,fali,ffail,fial

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of fail - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

afil2faill1fali2ffail1fial2
Edit distance from "fail"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "fail"?
"fail" is spelled F-A-I-L. The IPA pronunciation is /feɪl/.
What does "fail" mean?
As a verb, "fail" means: To be unsuccessful.
What words are commonly confused with "fail"?
"fail" is commonly confused with "fi", "FL", "far". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fail"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fail" is /feɪl/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "fail"?
Inherited from Middle English failen, borrowed from Old French falir, from Vulgar Latin *fallire, alteration of Latin fallere (“to deceive, disappoint”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰāl- (“to lie, deceive”) or Proto-Indo-European *(s)gʷʰh₂el- (“to ... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “fail”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is F-A-I-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /feɪl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “fi” - see the side-by-side comparison. fail vs fi
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list