Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

fall behind

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.90 in modern English

Syllables: fal-l be-hind
IPA

19

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

3

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see fall, behind.

verb

To be late (for a regular event)

Intransitive verb

verb

To be progressively below average in performance.

Intransitive verb

verb

to fail to keep up (with)

Intransitive verb; Transitive verb

Example Sentences

"You're falling behind with the rent."
"You could lose your job if you keep falling behind with your work."
"It's not like John to fall behind in maths."

Usage

Inflected Forms

falls behind (present, singular) falling behind (participle, present) fell behind (past) fallen behind (participle, past)

Synonyms

fall back drop off recede lag dawdle

Questions

What does fall behind mean?: Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see fall, behind.

How to pronounce fall behind

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