autumn

UK /ˈɔː.təm/ US /ˈɔː.t̬əm/ Syllables: au-tumn

Pronunciation

Noun A1 Beginner Neutral

The season between summer and winter, when leaves change colour and fall.

Autumn is the season between summer and winter, when the days get shorter, the weather gets cooler and the leaves of many trees change color and fall. It lasts from September to November in the northern half of the world. In American English, people also call it fall. Farmers gather their crops in autumn, and schools begin a new year. The n at the end of the word is silent, but it comes back in the adjective autumnal.

"The park was covered in orange leaves by early autumn."

Example sentences

"The leaves turn red and gold in autumn."

Level A1
"We went to the lake last autumn."

Level A1
"It is a cool autumn morning."

Level A1
"Autumn is my favorite season."

Level A1

Synonyms and antonyms

Synonyms

fall

Antonyms

spring

Look-alikes and common mistakes

fall : Fall is the American word for autumn. Both mean the season before winter.
harvest : Harvest is the gathering of crops, which often takes place in autumn.

Word family and forms

Forms: autumns

autumnal fall season

Word partners

Words and phrases that often go with "autumn".

in autumn
autumn leaves
last autumn
an autumn day
early autumn
autumn colors

Origin

Autumn came into English in the 1300s from Old French automne, which took it from Latin autumnus. The silent n in the spelling copies the Latin form.

Checked against: Wiktionary, the free dictionary, Dictionary.com.

Usage notes

Autumn is the standard British term, fall is the common American equivalent.

How to remember it

Autumn ends with a silent n. You can hear it in autumnal: autumn, autumnal.

Test yourself

Which word fits the gap? "The leaves turn red and gold in _____."

Answer: autumn

In your own words, what does "autumn" mean?