Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

face-off

/ˈfeɪsˌɑf/

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: 5.33 in modern English

Syllables: face-off
IPA: /ˈfeɪsˌɑf/

18

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A confrontation or argument between two people or groups.

noun

The start of play, when two players try to get control of the puck dropped by the referee.

noun

The start of play, when two players attempt to get possession of a ball placed on the ground between them by the referee.

Example Sentences

"It's unclear which side will win the latest face-off between the President and Congress."
"Huntsman starts out with a vision of Theron that’s specific, unique, and weighted in character, but it trends throughout toward generic fantasy tropes and black-and-white morality, and climaxes in a thoroughly familiar face-off."
"Canada’s men’s hockey team defeated the USA 3-2 in overtime Thursday to capture the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off Championship as the NHL put on a show in the first edition of this midseason international tournament."

Etymology

From face + off, or a deverbal from face off, c. 1889.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈfeɪsˌɑf/

Inflected Forms

face-offs (plural) faceoff (alternative) face off (alternative)

Phrases

face-off circle

Synonyms

confrontation encounter showdown

Questions

How do you pronounce face-off?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈfeɪsˌɑf/.
What does face-off mean?: A confrontation or argument between two people or groups.
Where does face-off come from?: From face + off, or a deverbal from face off, c. 1889.

How to pronounce face-off

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