Comparison
Falling Wedge vs Descending Triangle
Both have falling highs. A descending triangle has flat support, so sellers keep pressing into the same floor and the usual expectation is a break down. A falling wedge has support that also falls, but more slowly than resistance, so each new low gains less ground and the usual expectation is a break up.
Falling Wedge
bullish bias
A falling wedge has both boundaries sloping downward, with the upper line falling faster than the lower one. Price keeps making lower lows, but each drop loses momentum, and a break above the upper line is the bullish trigger.
Descending Triangle
bearish bias
A descending triangle has a flat lower boundary and a falling upper trendline. Sellers keep pressing at lower prices while buyers defend the same floor, until the floor gives way or the falling highs are broken.
Side by side
| Aspect | Falling Wedge | Descending Triangle |
|---|---|---|
| Lower line | Falling, but less steeply than the upper line | Flat |
| Upper line | Falling | Falling |
| Usual bias | Bullish | Bearish |
| Confirmation | A close above the falling resistance line | A close below the flat support |
How to tell them apart on a chart
- Draw a line across the lows. Flat means a triangle; sloping down means a wedge.
- A falling wedge's lows get closer together; a descending triangle's lows stop at the same level.
- Wait for the close through the line that matters before treating either as complete.
Falling Wedge: confirmation and invalidation
Confirms: A close above the upper trendline.
Invalidated: A decisive close below the lower trendline.
Descending Triangle: confirmation and invalidation
Confirms: A close below the flat support. A failed retest of that level from below is a second confirmation.
Invalidated: A close above the falling trendline breaks the pattern of lower highs.
Frequently asked questions
Is a falling wedge bullish?
It has a bullish bias because downward momentum is slowing, but it only confirms on a close above resistance.
Is a descending triangle always bearish?
No. A close above the falling resistance line would invalidate the bearish read.
Full guides
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Educational content only, not financial advice. Chart patterns describe probabilities, not certainties, and every pattern can fail. See our disclaimer.