Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

save face

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.97 in modern English

Syllables
save -face
IPA
16
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To take an action or make a gesture intended to preserve one's reputation or honour.

Intransitive verb

Example Sentences

Etymology

See lose face.

Usage

Inflected Forms

saves face (present, singular) saving face (participle, present) saved face (participle, past) saved face (past)

Phrases

give face lose face cut off one's nose to spite one's face

Frequently Paired Words

give face lose face cut off one's nose to spite one's face

Questions

What does save face mean?
To take an action or make a gesture intended to preserve one's reputation or honour.
Where does save face come from?
See lose face.

How to pronounce save face

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