2 syllables: Fee, ble. Stress on Fee.
FEE-buhl
/ˈfibəl/
Feeble is pronounced FEE-buhl (/ˈfibəl/). It has two syllables (Fee-ble), with the stress on "Fee". Feeble means lacking physical or mental strength or effectiveness; weak or frail. It describes something or someone that is inadequate or lacking energy, resilience, or force, often suggesting fragility. The term can apply to bodies, arguments, attempts, or performances, conveying a sense of weakness that invites care or correction.
adjectiveFeeble means lacking physical or mental strength or effectiveness; weak or frail. It describes something or someone that is inadequate or lacking energy, resilience, or force, often suggesting fragility. The term can apply to bodies, arguments, attempts, or performances, conveying a sense of weakness that invites care or correction.
How to Pronounce Feeble
"The patient's feeble pulse prompted the doctor to call for immediate assistance."
"Her feeble argument failed to persuade the jury and was dismissed."
"After the long illness, he was still feeble and needed assistance with daily tasks."
Pronounce it as FEE-bəl, with the primary stress on the first syllable. The vowel in the first syllable is a long /iː/ (as in 'see'), and the second syllable is a schwa /ə/ or a light /ɪ/ in rapid speech. IPA: US/UK/AU /ˈfiː.bəl/. Start with a clear /fiː/ then glide quickly to the unstressed /bəl/. Audio reference: you can compare with the pronunciation on reputable dictionaries or Forvo entries for 'feeble' to hear the length and the light ending.
Common mistakes include shortening the /iː/ to a short /ɪ/ (fi-bəl instead of fiː), and mispronouncing the final /əəl/ as /əl/ or /ɔːl/. To correct: hold the /iː/ a touch longer and ensure the second syllable reduces to /əl/ with a light, relaxed vowel. Another pitfall is adding an extra consonant sound before the /l/ (fi-ble with a harder /bl/ cluster). Practice by saying /ˈfiː.bəl/ slowly, then compress into a smooth two-syllable unit.
In General American, /ˈfiː.bəl/ with a clear long /iː/ and a reduced second syllable /bəl/. In UK English, /ˈfiː.bəl/ is similar, but you may hear slightly more clipped vowels or a more centralized /ə/ in the second syllable due to non-rhotic tendencies?; Australian speakers often have a similar /fiː.bəl/ but with a slightly flatter /ɪ/ or reduced second syllable and a more dental or alveolar touch on /b/. Overall, rhoticity isn’t a major factor here, but subtle vowel quality and timing differ.
Feeble challenges the learner with a long, tense /iː/ followed by a quick, reduced /əl/ ending. The primary problem is timing: you must maintain the long vowel before a very short, unstressed second syllable. Additionally, many learners reduce the /iː/ too early or insert an additional syllable (fea-bul or fea-ber). Focus on a clean, steady /ˈfiː.bəl/ with a short, soft /əl/ at the end and avoid overemphasizing the final consonant.
A unique feature is the abrupt lightness of the final /əl/ which can feel like /əl/ vs /l/ color; in careful speech you may hear a very light, schwa-like end, almost barely pronounced. The first syllable’s /iː/ should stay long and tense, and the /b/ should be a clean stop connected to the weak final vowel. In rapid speech, it can reduce to /fiːbəl/ with a barely audible final sound.
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Feeble comes from Middle English feeble, from Old French feble, from Latin foedus “feeble, weak, foul” (also related to foedare “to feeble, to deprive of strength”). The sense evolved through Old French febel and French féble, retaining the core meaning of lacking strength. In Middle English usage, feeble described physical weakness, often due to illness or age, and by the early modern period it extended to weaker arguments or attempts, echoing the broader sense of insufficiency. The root Latin foedus is also linked to fatuus and other words meaning dull or foolish in some descendants, but in this English adoption, feeble emphasizes weakness rather than stupidity. First known uses in English literature date from the 13th to 14th centuries, and by Renaissance texts it commonly described both body and spirit, a duality that persists in contemporary usage for both tangible and abstract weakness.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Feeble" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Feeble"
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