One syllable: fait.
fayt
/feɪt/
fait is pronounced fayt (/feɪt/). It has one syllable (fait), with the stress on "fait". Fait is a French verb form meaning ‘done’ or ‘made,’ typically seen in phrases like c’est fait (it’s done). In English contexts it may appear as a loanword or in quotations, but it retains French pronunciation cues. The term functions as a past participle or adjective in French grammar, conveying completed action and is often paired with être or avoir in compound tenses.
Fait is a French verb form meaning ‘done’ or ‘made,’ typically seen in phrases like c’est fait (it’s done). In English contexts it may appear as a loanword or in quotations, but it retains French pronunciation cues. The term functions as a past participle or adjective in French grammar, conveying completed action and is often paired with être or avoir in compound tenses.
Tip: Record yourself saying ‘fait’ in isolation and then in phrases, compare with a native speaker, and aim for a consistent, almost-truncated French finish.
"- In the recipe, une œuf et le lait, puis c’est fait: the mixture is done."
"- The guide says the project est fait, so we can move to the next step."
"- When borrowed into English, you’ll often see it as a label: fait accompli."
Pronounce it as /feɪ/ in English-friendly transcription, using the French vowel /e/ as in ‘cafe’ without a final consonant. In IPA for French, it is /fɛ/. In practice, many English speakers say /feɪ/ or /fet/ inaccurately; the closest precise French realization uses a closed-mid front unrounded vowel [ɛ] with a silent t. Start with /f/ followed by a clear /ɛ/ vowel, easing into a tight, clipped /t/ only if you follow French liaison patterns; otherwise omit the t sound. Practicing with lip rounding slight and jaw relaxed helps achieve authenticity.
Common errors include pronouncing the final t (as in English ‘fait’) and adopting an English long diphthong /eɪ/. Correct approach is to end abruptly after the /ɛ/ vowel in French, with a near-silent final consonant [fɛ]. Also avoid tense, overly rounded lips, or turning it into /feɪt/ or /fit/. Focus on a crisp, short vowel /ɛ/ and a silent or lightly aspirated final stop, depending on speaker influence. If you need a closer English-leaning cue, think /fe/ (like ‘feh’) with a brief closure, not /feɪt/.
In French, /fɛ/ with a short, open-mid front vowel and a silent t. In US English contexts, learners may approximate with /feɪ/ or /fet/, while some bilingual speakers produce a glottal stop or drop the final note. UK readers often keep /feɪ/ due to anglicized loanword speech. Australian speakers may lean toward /feɪ/ as well but with a flatter intonation. The main difference is whether the final t is silent (French, and many loanword usages) or articulated as a faint stop in some English renditions.
The difficulty stems from the contrast between the French vowel /ɛ/ (open-mid front unrounded) and the English /eɪ/ diphthong. Also, the final consonant is typically not pronounced in French, which surprises English learners who expect a t sound. Additionally, many learners come from languages with different vowel systems, so achieving the pale, clipped French vowel, reduced lip rounding, and avoiding English prolongation requires focused practice. Mastery comes from practicing the short French vowel and silent t in isolation and in phrases.
A unique aspect is treating the t as non-syllabic in casual borrowed usage when the word stands alone in English, while French etiquette would prefer a hard, compute-less ending. You’ll hear some bilinguals cue a faint nasal release or a light rounding of the lips before the final stop, but standard French entails no strong t. The distinct feature is the short /ɛ/ vowel and the abrupt cut-off after the vowel, giving a crisp single-syllable word.
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Fait comes from the French verb faire, meaning ‘to do’ or ‘to make.’ The word as a participle fait originates from Latin facere, via Old French faire and the evolving passé composé construction. In French, fait is a masculine participle that agrees with the auxiliary être or avoir in compound tenses, but the form changes only with gender and number when used as an adjective or noun. The first known uses of faire in Latin-derived Romance languages trace to classical Latin facere, with related forms appearing in Vulgar Latin and early Old French by the 9th-12th centuries. In modern usage, fait appears as a fixed lexical item in phrases like fait accompli (a completed fact) and fait divers (a short news item), expanding its semantic reach beyond its verb root to denote result, event, or state achieved. Over time, the participle took on specialized idiomatic functions in law, art, and everyday speech, while retaining its core sense of completion tied to action. In English-language contexts, faim and feraise-like loan structures have limited but notable presence, with fait often used in quoted or stylized forms to signal definitiveness or certainty. The word’s meaning and acceptability in English are largely contextual, grounded in French grammar and cultural usage.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "fait" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "fait" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "fait"
-ait sounds
-ate sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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