fox · faux
fox is /fɒks/ — every letter pronounced. faux is /foʊ/ — a French loanword with a silent X.
A spelling trap: fox /fɒks/ pronounces the X as a normal /ks/. In faux /foʊ/ (borrowed from French), the X is completely silent — the word just rhymes with “foe”.
noun — a small wild animal related to dogs — 'a fox in the henhouse' · 'sly as a fox'
mouth shape
short /ɒ/ — mouth opens wide, jaw drops — like 'hot', 'pot', 'stop' — the X is pronounced /ks/
fox
/fɒks/
vowel length
adjective — fake, imitation — 'faux fur' · 'faux leather' · 'a faux pas' (a social mistake)
mouth shape
diphthong /oʊ/ — lips round and glide from mid to high — borrowed from French, the X is completely silent
faux
/foʊ/
vowel length
Key difference
Same three letters at a glance, completely different sound. fox is a native English word — every letter is pronounced, including a crisp /ks/ at the end. faux is a French loanword — English keeps the French spelling but drops the X sound entirely, so it just glides to “oh”, like “foe” or “go”.
Example sentences
fox:“A fox ran across the road last night.”
faux:“She wore a faux fur jacket to the party.”
faux:“Forgetting his name was an awkward faux pas.”
Hear it in the wild
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fox
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faux
Hear native speakers say “faux” in real sentences — news, lectures, and podcasts.
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How teachers explain this
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Related pairs
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