falls

The word “falls” means a waterfall, or a place where water drops steeply over rocks. In plain terms, a waterfall — used especially in place names like Niagara Falls.

“Falls” is pronounced fawlz (/fɔlz/ in IPA).

Here is “falls” used in a sentence: “Tourists gathered at the falls to watch the water crash below.”

“Falls” is a noun.

“Falls” is a fairly common word in modern English.

They mean essentially the same thing — water dropping steeply over rocks. 'Falls' is simply the plural form often used for larger or multi-stream cascades, and it appears in most place names, like Niagara Falls or Victoria Falls. A single small drop is usually just called a waterfall.

Falls drop water steeply, often almost vertically, over a ledge or cliff. Rapids are stretches where water rushes fast and rough over a shallower slope without a sheer drop. Both are turbulent, but falls plunge downward while rapids race along. Rivers often feature rapids just above or below falls.

Niagara Falls on the US–Canada border and Victoria Falls in southern Africa are among the world's most famous. The word names both the cascade itself and the place around it. Smaller local examples appear on countless rivers wherever water tumbles steeply over a rocky drop.