How to pronounce "farewell" in English
fɛərˈwɛl
fair·WEL
Primary stress: WEL
Hear native speakers say farewell in context across real video clips
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “farewell”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
fair
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
WEL
Elevated pitch, sustained vowel length, and full acoustic clarity.
Primary emphasis falls on the second syllable ("WEL"). Raise your pitch and sustain the vowel length on this syllable while relaxing the surrounding syllables.
Common Pronunciation Traps & Learner Mistakes
The Trap: Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels.
How Native Speakers Say It: Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).
Connected Speech & Natural Conversational Flow
When "farewell" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "farewell is" sounds like "farewell-iz").
In natural sentences, avoid over-stressing "farewell" unless it conveys the core contrast or focal point of your message.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“Farewell." Exactly the same combination, a woman whose lips are sealed, would never give away the name of her partner.”— YaleCoursesWatch clip
“farewell right yes have you uh given any thought to uh the availability and cost”— Harvard UniversityWatch clip
“farewell in during his absence as a kind of sacrifice with a stricken heart and”— StanfordWatch clip
“farewell to the city for the designer but her fans and design critics are already waiting for her next creations”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“farewell ceremony in Saint Petersburg shrouded in secrecy heavily guarded by Russian police and National Guardsmen”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
“farewell to them as they passed we must bear that in mind when we commit to”— Native SpeakerWatch clip
Practice Speaking “farewell”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
Farewell." Exactly the same combination, a woman whose lips are sealed, would never give away the name of her partner.
Hear it in context: “farewell”
820 clipsThe English word “farewell” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as fɛərˈwɛl (phonetic respelling: fair-WEL). Phonologically, it consists of 2 syllables (fair · WEL), with primary lexical stress placed on the 2nd syllable (WEL). Grammatically, “farewell” functions as a noun, adjective, interjection, verb and acts as an English heteronym where syllable stress shifts between noun (initial-syllable stress) and verb (second-syllable stress) usage. SayItVid indexes 820 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “farewell” in natural connected speech across American (US: 8 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents, including verified broadcasts from YaleCourses, Harvard University, Stanford.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (5 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USYaleCoursesClip #1 · @4:40
“His will be done! Farewell." Exactly the same combination, a woman whose lips are sealed, would never give away the name of her partner. Exactly the same combination, a woman whose lips are sealed,”
- 🇺🇸 USHarvard UniversityClip #2 · @53:54
“come out well whether it's selection or something yeah um they don't they don't farewell right yes have you uh given any thought to uh the availability and cost of child care as it feeds into this we have't we don't have any good”
- 🇺🇸 USStanfordClip #3 · @25:51
“conventionally gendered behaviors promising to be true in a sentimental farewell in during his absence as a kind of sacrifice with a stricken heart and eventually weeping and mourning at the passing of her loved one now's the loss”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #4 · @15:16
“hands the exhibition at Ram's Boon's Museum runs until February and is like a farewell to the city for the designer but her fans and design critics are already waiting for her next creations are already waiting for her next creations”
- 🇺🇸 USClip #5 · @0:31
“crash farewell ceremony in Saint Petersburg shrouded in secrecy heavily guarded by Russian police and National Guardsmen heavily guarded by Russian police and National Guardsmen”
Definition & Meaning: “farewell”
- A wish of happiness or safety at parting, especially a permanent departure.
- A departure; the act of leaving.
- Parting, valedictory, final.
- Goodbye
- To bid farewell or say goodbye.
Example Sentences (3)
- “He bid farewell to all of his fans.”
- “See how the morning opes her golden gates, And takes her farewell of the glorious sun.”
- “Farewell." Exactly the same combination, a woman whose lips are sealed, would never give away the name of her partner.”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “farewell”
- Pronunciation:
- fair-WEL
- Syllables:
- fair · WEL
- Written Hyphenation:
- fare · well
- Primary stress:
- WEL
- IPA:
- fɛərˈwɛl
- Hear it in context
- farewell
Synonyms: “farewell”
Hear words related in meaning to “farewell” in real video clips:
Words that Rhyme with “farewell”
-ɛlWords that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"farewell" (⁄fɛərˈwɛl⁄) has no true homophones in standard English — there are no other words with identical pronunciation. Unlike sound-alike pairs like there / their or peace / piece, "farewell" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about farewell
How do you pronounce “farewell”?
“farewell” is pronounced ⁄fɛərˈwɛl⁄ (fair-WEL). Listen to the native-speaker clips above to hear it in real conversation.
How many syllables are in “farewell”?
“farewell” has 2 syllables: fair · WEL.
Where is the stress in “farewell”?
The primary stress in “farewell” is on “WEL”. Listen for that stressed syllable in the clips above.
What does “farewell” mean?
A wish of happiness or safety at parting, especially a permanent departure.
How can I hear “farewell” used in real sentences?
This page has 820 real-world video examples of “farewell” with synchronized subtitles. Use Previous / Next (or ← / → keys) to hear each one at the exact moment it is spoken.
What is the most common pronunciation mistake when saying “farewell”?
Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels. Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).