Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

malfunction

/ˌmælˈfʌŋk.ʃən/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.29 in modern English

Syllables: mal-func-tion
IPA: /ˌmælˈfʌŋk.ʃən/

18

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

3

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Faulty functioning.

noun

Failure to function.

verb

To function improperly.

verb

To fail to function.

Example Sentences

"This weekend, as videos of robotaxi malfunctions began appearing on social media, opponents say they are seeing their fears realized."
"A former OceanGate scientific director said the Titan submersible suffered a malfunction six days before imploding in June 2023, killing all five people on board."
"She told him the machine was poorly built, but they both knew that she was the one who had malfunctioned."
"Due to a communications error, according to gaming officials, the slot machine malfunctioned and didn’t notify Taylor or casino personnel that he was a winner."
"The group has started collecting reports of malfunctioning, crashing, or dangerous self-driving cars on its website."
"A 39-year-old British woman was killed when a malfunctioning ottoman bed fell on her neck and asphyxiated her, a coroner’s report said."

Etymology

From mal- (“bad, incorrect”) + function.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˌmælˈfʌŋk.ʃən/
British English: /ˌmælˈfʌŋk.ʃən/

Inflected Forms

malfunctions (plural) malfunctions (present, singular) malfunctioning (participle, present) malfunctioned (participle, past) malfunctioned (past)

Derived Forms

malfunctional malfunctioner

Phrases

malfunction routine malfunction junction wardrobe malfunction

Synonyms

dysfunction misfunction

Rhymes With

function junction conjunction dysfunction injunction compunction choice function switching function disjunction unction digamma function

Questions

How do you pronounce malfunction?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌmælˈfʌŋk.ʃən/.
What does malfunction mean?: Faulty functioning.
Where does malfunction come from?: From mal- (“bad, incorrect”) + function.

How to pronounce malfunction

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “malfunction”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˌmælˈfʌŋk.ʃən/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “malfunction”.
Repeat and practice — Say “malfunction” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.