fatal
[ˈfeɪ.ɾɫ̩]adjective, noun
fatal is spelled F-A-T-A-L: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 13 times per million words in written English, the 6,047th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, fatal means “Causing death or destruction” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in fatal?
| Letters | 5: F-A-T-A-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 13 times per million words; the 6,047th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is fatal?
Fatal appears 13 times per million words in written English, the 6,047th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce fatal?
- /ˈfeɪ.təl/
- US [ˈfeɪ.ɾɫ̩]
Fatal has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-fatal.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of fatal
- more fatal comparative
- most fatal superlative
- fatals plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does fatal mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
archaicrareProceeding from, or appointed by, fate or destiny.
- 2
archaicrareForeboding death or great disaster.
- 3
Causing death or destruction.
a fatal wound; a fatal disease; that fatal day; a fatal mistake
- 4
Causing a sudden end to the running of a program.
a fatal error; a fatal exception
noun
- 1
A fatality; an event that leads to death.
another fatal on the turnpike during rush hour
- 2
A fatal error; a failure that causes a program to terminate.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Fatal in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | fatal |
| German | verhängnisvoll, fatal , tödlich |
| Portuguese | fatal |
| Spanish | fatal , mortal |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does fatal come from?
From Middle French fatal, from Latin fātālis (“fatal”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).