Word Study: Fall vs. Autumn

by Val White

I’ve always loved words. Lots of words. To me, they’re like little jewels—each one carrying its own weight, tone, and history. And the words we choose don’t just describe our world, they shape how we experience it. That’s why I find it so fascinating that the season we’re stepping into can be called by two very different names: fall and autumn.

Fall is the older of the two in English, originating from the phrase “fall of the leaf” in the 16th century. It was a simple, poetic way to describe what was happening in nature. Over time, it shortened to just “fall,” and when English speakers carried the language to America, the word stuck. Across the pond, though, autumn rose in popularity. Borrowed from the French “automne,” itself rooted in Latin, the word carries a certain elegance—a roundness, a softness. Today, Americans are more likely to say fall, while the British and much of the rest of the English-speaking world prefer autumn.

Both words are technically right, but don’t they feel a little different on the tongue? Fall feels casual, approachable, grounded. Autumn feels elevated, refined, almost like it belongs in a sonnet. Neither is better or worse—just different moods, different textures for the same golden season.

It makes me think of how our choice of words can elevate our everyday conversations. Saying fall feels like you’re cozying up with friends around a fire. Saying autumn feels like you’re raising a glass at a candlelit dinner. Each word creates its own atmosphere, its own invitation.

So which one resonates with you? Are you more of a fall person, or an autumn person? Perhaps, like me, you enjoy trying them both on, letting language itself be part of the season’s richness. After all, words—like the leaves—remind us that beauty lives in their variety.