Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

fool

/ful/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.29 in modern English

Syllables
fool
IPA
/ful/
7
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
3
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A person with poor judgment or little intelligence.

Derogatory

noun

A jester; a person whose role was to entertain a sovereign and the court (or lower personages).

noun

Someone who has been made a fool of or tricked; dupe.

noun

Someone who derives pleasure from something specified.

Informal

noun

An informal greeting akin to buddy, dude, or man.

Slang

verb

To trick; to deceive.

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰelǵʰ-der. Latin follis Old French folbor. Middle English fol English fool From Middle English fol (“fool”), from Old French fol (cf. modern French fou (“mad”)) from Latin follis. Doublet of fals and follis. Displaced native Old English dwæs.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ful/
  • British English: /fuːl/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Phrases

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Homonyms

Antonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce fool?
The recorded pronunciation is /ful/.
What does fool mean?
A person with poor judgment or little intelligence.
Where does fool come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce fool

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