# fault

> English word · Noun · IPA /fɔːlt/ · frequency rank #2,296

## Definitions
1. Culpability; the responsibility for a blameworthy event.
2. A defect, imperfection, or weakness; more severe than a flaw.
3. A defect, imperfection, or weakness; more severe than a flaw.
4. A defect, imperfection, or weakness; more severe than a flaw.
5. A defect, imperfection, or weakness; more severe than a flaw.
6. A mistake or error.
7. A mistake or error.
8. A mistake or error.
9. A mistake or error.
10. A point at which something is divided, interrupted, or disconnected.
11. A point at which something is divided, interrupted, or disconnected.
12. A point at which something is divided, interrupted, or disconnected.
13. A point at which something is divided, interrupted, or disconnected.
14. want; lack; absence

## Etymology
From Middle English faute, faulte, from Anglo-Norman faute, Old French faute, from Vulgar Latin *fallita (“shortcoming”), feminine of *fallitus, in place of Latin falsus, perfect passive participle of fallō (“deceive”). Displaced native Middle English schuld, schuild (“fault”) (from Old English scyld (“fault”)), Middle English lac (“fault, lack”) (from Middle Dutch lak (“lack, fault”)), Middle English last (“fault, vice”) (from Old Norse lǫstr (“fault, vice, crime”)). Compare French faute (“fault, foul”), Portuguese falta (“lack, shortage”) and Spanish falta (“lack, absence”). More at fail, false.

## Easily confused with
- **fut** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fault-vs-fut)
- **full** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fault-vs-full)
- **felt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fault-vs-felt)
- **foul** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fault-vs-foul)
- **faux** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fault-vs-faux)
- **fruit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fault-vs-fruit)
- **fauna** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fault-vs-fauna)
- **fouls** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fault-vs-fouls)
- **Faust** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fault-vs-faust)
- **faults** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fault-vs-faults)
- **faulty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fault-vs-faulty)
- **flaunt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fault-vs-flaunt)
- **faulted** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fault-vs-faulted)
- **fat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fat-vs-fault)
- **fal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fal-vs-fault)
- **fact** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fact-vs-fault)
- **fall** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fall-vs-fault)
- **fast** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fast-vs-fault)
- **fail** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fail-vs-fault)
- **fart** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fart-vs-fault)

## Common misspellings (7)
`afult`, `falut`, `faullt`, `faultt`, `fautl`, `ffault`, `fualt`

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