Engineering English
Failure Mode
Materials Engineering · Last updated: July 30, 2026 · How this entry was written
Definition: Failure mode describes the physical process or mechanism by which a component or structure fails. Common failure modes include fatigue, overload, corrosion, and wear.
Example in context
“A thorough root cause analysis identified fatigue as the primary failure mode for the cracked turbine blade.”
“Kapsamlı bir kök neden analizi, çatlamış türbin kanadı için birincil arıza modu olarak yorgunluğu belirledi.”
Where engineers use it
Understanding failure modes is essential in reliability engineering and design. Engineers use failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) to prevent failures and improve product safety.
Synonyms: failure mechanism
Practice: can you use “Failure Mode” at work?
A series of bolts have broken in service. You are tasked with performing a failure analysis to determine the dominant failure mode and propose corrective actions.
Show a model answer
“List the common failure modes in mechanical components.”
“Failure Mode” in 21 languages
| English | Failure Mode |
|---|---|
| Turkish | arıza modu |
| French | mode de défaillance |
| German | Versagensart |
| Spanish | modo de fallo |
| Chinese | 失效模式 |
| Arabic | نمط الفشل |
| Portuguese | modo de falha |
| Russian | вид отказа |
| Japanese | 故障モード |
| Italian | modo di guasto |
| Vietnamese | chế độ hỏng |
| Hindi | विफलता मोड |
| Thai | โหมดความล้มเหลว |
| Indonesian | mode kegagalan |
| Korean | 고장 모드 |
| Bengali | ব্যর্থতা মোড |
| Dutch | faalwijze |
| Swedish | felsätt |
| Finnish | vikatila |
| Ukrainian | вид відмови |
Frequently asked questions
What does Failure Mode mean in engineering?
Failure mode describes the physical process or mechanism by which a component or structure fails. Common failure modes include fatigue, overload, corrosion, and wear. In Materials Engineering, the term carries a usage-frequency rating of 10/10 in the Engineering English library.
How do you pronounce Failure Mode?
Failure Mode is pronounced /ˈfeɪljər moʊd/ (IPA). The Engineering English app plays audio for the term and checks your pronunciation with speech recognition.
How is Failure Mode used in a sentence?
Example from an engineering context: “A thorough root cause analysis identified fatigue as the primary failure mode for the cracked turbine blade.”
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