What this suffix does
-fall forms compounds about types of falling or precipitation: rainfall, snowfall, waterfall, nightfall. Figuratively: pitfall (hidden danger), windfall (unexpected stroke of luck), downfall (ruin).
ESEN
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 deIntermediate
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
How it is formed
Noun + fall.
- rain + fallrainfall
- water + fallwaterfall
- down + falldownfall (ruin, collapse)
This is not a productive rule you can apply freely: it is a closed set of fixed expressions. Learn them one by one as set phrases.
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
- downdownfallHis pride was the downfall of his career.
- nightnightfallWe need to be home before nightfall.
- rainrainfallThe region gets very little rainfall in summer.
- windwindfallWinning the lottery was a huge windfall for the family.
- pitpitfallOne common pitfall for beginners is forgetting to save their work.
- waterwaterfallWe hiked for two hours to reach the waterfall.
- shortshortfallThe company is facing a budget shortfall this year.
- snowsnowfallHeavy snowfall closed the roads overnight.
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
"-fall" = something that falls. Literal for weather (rain-FALL, snow-FALL). Figurative: wind-FALL = like fruit the wind knocks down without you picking it, an unexpected gain. pit-FALL = you fall into a hole you never saw.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
"The pitfalls of this strategy include high costs." What are "pitfalls"?
Exercise 3 · Form the word
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
Turns a direction word into a direction adverb/adjective: inward, outward, forward. Works with almost any direction word, it is productive.
Learn every English suffix
-tion, -ness, -ful, -ly, -able... every ending you need to understand thousands of words at once.