Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

pale

/peɪl/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.08 in modern English

Syllables
pale
IPA
/peɪl/
6
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Feeble, faint.

verb

To turn pale; to lose colour.

Intransitive verb

verb

To become insignificant.

Intransitive verb

verb

To make pale; to diminish the brightness of.

Transitive verb

noun

Paleness; pallor.

Obsolete

noun

A wooden stake; a picket.

Example Sentences

Etymology

Etymology tree Latin palleō Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-der. Proto-Italic *-iðos Latin -idus Latin pallidus Old French palebor. Middle English pale English pale From Middle English pale, from Old French pale, from Latin pallidus (“pale, pallid”), from palleō (“to be pale; to grow pale; to fade”), from Proto-Indo-European *pelito-, from *pelH- (“gray”). Doublet of pallid. Displaced native Old English blāc.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: *pelH-, pale, pallidus, *pelito-, *peh₂ǵ-, pal

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /peɪl/
  • British English: /peɪl/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Phrases

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Homonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce pale?
The recorded pronunciation is /peɪl/.
What does pale mean?
Light in color.
Where does pale come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce pale

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