Efface is a verb meaning to erase or obscure something completely or to make oneself appear insignificant or inconspicuous. It often implies gradual removal or diminishment of features, memory, or presence, so that nothing remains to stand out. In usage, it can describe physical marks, memories, or personal prominence being erased or faded away.
- US: clear, rhotic-free /ɹ/ in related phrases; focus on the /ɪ/ to /eɪ/ transition; keep the /s/ hiss quiet but perceptible. - UK: slightly sharper /ɪ/ and crisper /s/; avoid over-articulating the diphthong; relax the jaw. - AU: broader vowel quality, watch for a more open /ɪ/ and sometimes a slightly longer /eɪ/; ensure the /f/ and /s/ are detachable. Use IPA to compare differences: /ɪˈfeɪs/ across accents; adjust mouth shape accordingly.
"The storm erased the chalk marks on the tennis court, leaving the lines barely visible."
"Over years of humility, he tried to efface any hint of arrogance from his demeanor."
"The campaign sought to efface the graffiti by repainting the wall."
"She chose to efface her name from the records to avoid attention.”"
Efface comes from the French effacer, from Old French esfacier, which means to wipe out or erase. The root es- means 'out' or 'away', and facier (from Latin facere) means 'to make' or 'to do'. The term entered English via Middle French in the 16th century, initially meaning to wipe out or cancel. Over time, its sense broadened from literal physical erasure to figurative meanings such as erasing memories, marks, or personal presence. The historical trajectory shows a shift from tangible removal (like writing or marks on a surface) to abstract removal (reputation, identity), aligning with similar verbs such as erase and abolish. In modern usage, efface frequently appears in contexts of humility, anonymity, or deliberate fading from visibility, though it can also describe the destruction of evidence or traces, whether physical or digital. First known use in English literature dates to the early 1600s, with similar forms attested in contemporaneous French texts. The word retains a formal or slightly literary tone in contemporary English, often carrying a nuance of deliberate concealment rather than accident. Modern dictionaries classify it as a transitive verb, typically followed by objects like traces, memory, or oneself, reinforcing its core sense of removal and concealment.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Efface" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Efface"
-ace sounds
-ase sounds
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Efface is pronounced with stress on the second syllable: /ɪˈfeɪs/. Start with a short initial vowel /ɪ/ as in 'kit', then the diphthong /eɪ/ as in 'face', ending with the /s/ sound. The ‘f’ sound is labiodental, produced with the bottom lip touching the upper teeth. Put together: ih-FACE. If you’re listening, you’ll hear a gentle rise in pitch on the second syllable, typical of English verb pronunciation.
Common errors include pronouncing it as ee-FACE or ef-FACE with incorrect vowel quality. People sometimes add an extra syllable, like ef-AH-s, or misplace the stress. The correct pattern is a single-syllable /ɪ/ plus the stressed /eɪs/. Focus on the open-front vowel /ɪ/ (short 'i') followed quickly by the diphthong /eɪ/ (like 'face') and finish with /s/.
In American English, /ɪˈfeɪs/ with a rhotic, clear /r/ not present; the final /s/ is crisp. UK pronunciation /ɪˈfeɪs/ is similar but may have a slightly shorter /ɪ/ and a crisper /s/. Australian English typically has a broader /ɪ/ and a more centered vowel in some speakers, but /ɪˈfeɪs/ remains consistent. The key variation lies in the quality of the initial /ɪ/ vowel and the surrounding vowel closings, not in the overall stress pattern.
The difficulty lies in the short initial /ɪ/ followed by a strong /eɪ/ diphthong and the palatal alignment required for the /f/ and /s/ sequence. Non-native speakers often misplace the tongue, producing a lax 'ee' or misarticulating the diphthong as a pure /e/. Focus on a quick glide from /ɪ/ to /eɪ/ and a clean /s/ after /f/ to avoid blending.
Efface contains a contrastive stress on the second syllable for a monosyallabic word-level pronunciation, but the word itself is disyllabic in pronunciation due to its two-part vowel structure (the /ɪ/ plus /eɪ/). The unique challenge is maintaining a light, unstressed onset before the strong /eɪ/ nucleus while keeping the /f/ and /s/ segments crisp. Remember the mouth positions: lips for /f/, teeth for /f/ and /s/.
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