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Suffix · forms nouns

-fall

Forms compounds naming types of descent, precipitation, or figurative collapse: downfall, nightfall, rainfall, windfall, pitfall, waterfall, shortfall.

In Spanish: caida / lluvia deLiterary

Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated June 2026

What does -fall express?

-fall keeps the meaning of "falling" or "descent" and builds two families of compounds: Natural descent or arrival: • rainfall = precipitation (rain falling) • snowfall = snow precipitation • nightfall = the moment darkness falls • waterfall = cascading water • downfall = collapse, ruin (falling downward) Figurative concepts: • pitfall = a hidden danger or trap (falling into a pit) • windfall = an unexpected gain (fruit blown down by wind) • shortfall = a deficit, a gap between expected and actual • downfall = the moral or political ruin of a person or system

Nightfall: the most poetic compound

"Nightfall" is one of the most literarily charged -fall compounds. It names the precise moment darkness arrives: "by nightfall," "at nightfall," "as nightfall approached." In English literature, "nightfall" appears throughout Gothic fiction, Romantic poetry, and Shakespearean drama as the boundary between the safe daylit world and nocturnal danger. It is more evocative than "sunset" (which refers to the sun) or "dusk" (more technical).

Pitfall and windfall: opposing metaphors

"Pitfall" is essential in academic and business English: "the pitfalls of this approach," "avoid the common pitfalls," "be aware of potential pitfalls." It warns of non-obvious dangers that can cause someone to fail. "Windfall" is its lucky opposite: an unexpected gain, money that arrives without being actively sought. "A windfall profit," "a windfall tax" (a levy on extraordinary profits), "she received a windfall inheritance." The image is of fruit blown from a tree — collected from the ground without having been harvested.

How it is pronounced

-fall/fɔːl/ · sounds like "fawl"

Tap the button to hear how the ending sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.

Examples

Base word
With -fall
In a phrase
  • downdownfallGreed was ultimately the downfall of the empire.
  • nightnightfallBy nightfall the travelers had not yet reached shelter.
  • rainrainfallAnnual rainfall in the region has decreased by 30 percent.
  • windwindfallThe unexpected inheritance was a windfall for the family.
  • pitpitfallOverconfidence is one of the main pitfalls of the strategy.
  • waterwaterfallThe roar of the waterfall could be heard from miles away.
  • shortshortfallA shortfall of funding threatened the entire project.
  • snowsnowfallHeavy snowfall blocked the mountain passes.

Common mistakes

a windfall person
a windfall profit / a windfall gain

"Windfall" as a pre-noun adjective collocates mainly with financial words: "windfall profit," "windfall tax," "windfall gain." It does not describe people.

fall into a pitfall
fall into a trap / encounter a pitfall

Saying "fall into a pitfall" is redundant since "pitfall" already contains the idea of falling. Say "encounter a pitfall" or "avoid the pitfalls" instead.

A trick to remember it

In academic and business English, "pitfall" and "shortfall" are essential. Learn these phrases: "avoid the pitfalls of," "be aware of potential pitfalls," "a shortfall of X," "make up the shortfall." "Windfall" also appears in economics and legal texts: "windfall tax," "windfall gains."

Practise what you learned

Exercise 1 · Form the word

Fill in: "By ___, the travelers had not yet reached the village." (when darkness falls)

Hint: Night + fall: the moment darkness arrives.

Exercise 2 · Pick the right one

"The pitfalls of this strategy include high costs." What are "pitfalls"?

Exercise 3 · Form the word

Fill in: "The company received a ___ from the sale of its old building." (unexpected gain)

Hint: Wind + fall: fruit blown from a tree, found without having harvested it.

Frequently asked questions

What does the suffix -fall mean in English?

The suffix -fall forms compounds naming types of descent, precipitation, or figurative collapse: downfall, nightfall, rainfall, windfall, pitfall, waterfall, shortfall. In Spanish it usually maps to caida / lluvia de.

How do you pronounce -fall?

The ending -fall is pronounced /fɔːl/ · sounds like "fawl". For example, "downfall".

Can you give an example of a word with -fall?

"down" becomes "downfall". It is a typical example of the -fall suffix.

Other useful suffixes

  • -bound

    From the past participle of "bind": forms adjectives meaning "confined by," "heading toward," or "obligated by." Spellbound, earthbound, homebound, hidebound, snowbound, inbound.

  • -stone

    Forms compounds naming types of stone, places, or concepts involving permanence and foundation: milestone, cornerstone, tombstone, keystone, limestone.

  • -ward / -wards

    From Old English "-weard" (direction): forms adverbs and adjectives of direction or tendency. Inward, outward, forward, wayward, awkward.

Learn every English suffix

-tion, -ness, -ful, -ly, -able... every ending you need to understand thousands of words at once.

View all suffixes
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