What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
tumbled
Example
The child tumbled down the stairs and scraped his knee. [tumbled: past tense]
Example
The acrobat tumbled across the stage, impressing the audience with their agility. [tumbled: verb]
fall
Example
She fell off the ladder and broke her arm. [fell: past tense]
Example
The leaves fall from the trees in autumn. [fall: verb]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Fall is a more commonly used word than tumbled in everyday language. Fall is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while tumbled is less common and more specific to sudden and chaotic falls.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between tumbled and fall?
Both tumbled and fall are relatively neutral in formality and can be used in both formal and informal contexts.
