falsetto

fal·set·to
F4A1L1S1E1T1T1O1
UK/fɔːlˈsɛt.əʊ/UK/fɒlˈsɛt.əʊ/US/fɔlˈsɛt.oʊ/US/fɔɫˈsɛt.oʊ/

noun

The "false" (singing) voice in any human, usually airy and lacking a purity of vowels; created by using the next highest vocal folds above those used for speech and normal range singing. It is commonly confused with the head voice register.

Similar
highhigh-pitched
OriginItalian falsetto →
UncommonScrabble 11
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Meanings

nounfalsetto (countable and uncountable, plural falsettos)

plural falsettos

  1. uncountablesingingThe "false" (singing) voice in any human, usually airy and lacking a purity of vowels; created by using the next highest vocal folds above those used for speech and normal range singing. It is commonly confused with the head voice register.
  2. countableentertainmentA person who sings in falsetto.
verbfalsetto (third-person singular simple present falsettos, present participle falsettoing, simple past and past participle falsettoed)

present singular third person falsettos · participle present falsettoing · participle past falsettoed · past falsettoed

  1. To sing or utter in falsetto.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveartificially high; above the normal voice range

Similar
highhigh-pitched

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Italianfalsetto
  2. Englishfalsetto

Borrowed from Italian falsetto, from falso (“false”).

More words from Italian

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian фалце́т
  • фалце́т (falcét)"false" (singing) voice in any human
Catalan falset
  • falset"false" (singing) voice in any human
Chinese Mandarin 假聲 /假声
  • 假聲 /假声 (jiǎshēng)"false" (singing) voice in any human
Czech falzet
  • falzet"false" (singing) voice in any human
Finnish falsetti
  • falsetti"false" (singing) voice in any human
French fausset
  • fausset"false" (singing) voice in any human
German Falsett
  • Falsett"false" (singing) voice in any human
Indonesian falseto
  • falseto"false" (singing) voice in any human
Irish cuach
  • cuach"false" (singing) voice in any human
Italian falsetto
  • falsetto"false" (singing) voice in any human
Japanese 裏声, 仮声
  • 裏声 (uragoe)"false" (singing) voice in any human
  • 仮声 (kasei)"false" (singing) voice in any human
  • ファルセット (farusetto)"false" (singing) voice in any human
Korean 가성
  • 가성 (gaseong)"false" (singing) voice in any human
Māori reo whakapakaru, whakapakaru
  • reo whakapakaru"false" (singing) voice in any human
  • whakapakaru"false" (singing) voice in any human
Polish falset, fistuła
  • falset"false" (singing) voice in any human
  • fistuła"false" (singing) voice in any human
Portuguese falsete
  • falsete"false" (singing) voice in any human
Russian фальце́т
  • фальце́т (falʹcét)"false" (singing) voice in any human
Spanish falsete
  • falsete"false" (singing) voice in any human

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with falsetto

palmettostilettolibrettoamarettodolcettoquartettocornettoconcettoamorettocaprettocavettoin pettolazarettostrettozucchetto
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

falsetto. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/falsetto

MLA

“falsetto.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/falsetto. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “falsetto,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/falsetto.

Source: falsetto on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.