How to Pronounce Ban

To pronounce "ban", say BAN — one syllable, IPA /bæn/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

ban

Tap to hear · American accent

Accent

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Speed

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1

Syllable

3

Letters

/bæn/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “ban”

"ban" is a single-syllable word — say it in one clean beat. It rhymes with deadpan and span, if that helps it stick.

Sounds exactly like: bahn, banh, bann — easy to mix up when writing.

What does ban mean?

noun

  1. Prohibition.
  2. A public proclamation or edict; a summons by public proclamation. Chiefly, in early use, a summons to arms.

    “Bans is common and ordinary amongst the Feudists, and signifies a proclamation, or any public notice.”

verb

  1. To summon; to call out.
  2. To anathematize; to pronounce an ecclesiastical curse upon; to place under a ban.

Synonyms

disallowforbidprohibit

Hear “ban” in real sentences

Real example sentences from Tatoeba (CC-BY) — tap to hear each one, or see it used on YouGlish.

Words that rhyme with ban

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

deadpanspandivanclanmanpanfanqueancaravancatamaranharmattantran

Related words

prohibitioninterdictionforbiddanceproscriptionostracizeforbiddingblackballbanish

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "ban"?▾

"Ban" has one syllable.

What is the IPA transcription of "ban"?▾

The IPA transcription of "ban" is /bæn/.

What does "ban" mean?▾

Ban: Prohibition.

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