How to Pronounce Barren

To pronounce "barren", say BARR-en — 2 syllables, IPA /ˈbæɹən/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

barren

Tap to hear · American accent

Accent

If an accent sounds the same, your device is missing that voice — it falls back to the closest one.

Speed

Syllable by syllable — tap each one

Practice: Record & Compare

Record yourself saying barren, then compare with the target. Your audio stays on this device — nothing is uploaded.

2

Syllables

6

Letters

/ˈbæɹən/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “barren”

"barren" has 2 syllables: barr-en. It rhymes with baron and perron, if that helps it stick.

Sounds exactly like: baron, barron — easy to mix up when writing.

What does barren mean?

noun

  1. An area of low fertility and habitation, a desolate place.

    “The pine barrens are a site lonely enough to suit any hermit.”

adjective

  1. Unable to bear children; sterile.

    “I silently wept as my daughter's husband rejected her. What would she do now that she was no longer a maiden but also barren?”

  2. Of poor fertility, infertile; not producing vegetation.

Synonyms

sterile

Antonyms

fertilefruitful

Hear “barren” 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 barren

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

baronperronparenvaranseronhairenparanscarronserinarranpteron

Related words

sterileinfertileunfruitfulchildlessinhospitableunfertilebaredesolate

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "barren"?▾

"Barren" has 2 syllables: barr · en.

What is the IPA transcription of "barren"?▾

The IPA transcription of "barren" is /ˈbæɹən/.

What does "barren" mean?▾

Barren: An area of low fertility and habitation, a desolate place.

Want the definition, translations into 8 languages, and read-aloud for full sentences?

Open “barren” in the full dictionary →