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PlainSpell

banter

/ˈbæntɚ/noun, verb

banter is spelled B-A-N-T-E-R: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 3.0 times per million words in written English, the 15,368th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, banter means “Sharp, good-humoured, playful, typically spontaneous conversation” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in banter?

Letters6: B-A-N-T-E-R
Syllables2 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing3.0 times per million words; the 15,368th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search
Rhymes with
Same letters

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.

How common is banter?

Banter appears 3.0 times per million words in written English, the 15,368th most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce banter?

  • UK /ˈbæntə/
  • US /ˈbæntɚ/
  • US [ˈbɛən.tɚ]

Banter has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-banter.wav, En-us-banter.ogg, En-au-banter.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

What rhymes with banter?

4 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as banter from its last stressed vowel (/æntəɹ/):

Spelled with the same letters in another order: barnet.

Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).

Forms of banter

  • banters present, singular, he/she/it
  • bantering participle, present
  • bantered participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does banter mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    Sharp, good-humoured, playful, typically spontaneous conversation.

  2. 2

    Good-humoured bits of monologue and/or conversational prompts used in any of a wide range of occupations that must frequently interact with the public (for example, store clerks, salespersons, nurses).

verb

  1. 1

    To engage in banter or playful conversation.

  2. 2

    To play or do something amusing.

  3. 3

    To tease (someone) mildly.

  4. 4

    To joke about; to ridicule (a trait, habit, etc.).

    June 1804, William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham If they banter your regularity, order, and love of study, banter in return their neglect of them.

  5. 5

    To delude or trick; to play a prank upon.

  6. 6

    UScolloquialTo challenge to a match.

  7. 7

    UKTo haggle; cheapen the price.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

How do you abbreviate banter?

Wiktionary records one abbreviation of banter: bant.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Banter in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchplaisanterie, badinage (good humoured conversation), badiner (to engage in banter), s'amuser (to play or do something amusing), taquiner (to tease mildly)
GermanGelabere, Wortgeplänkel, Geplänkel, Scherz, Neckerei, Ulk (good humoured conversation)
Portuguesecaçoada, brincadeira, resenha (good humoured conversation), caçoar, bulir (to tease mildly)
Spanishcharla, cháchara, bromas (good humoured conversation), charlar, bromear (to engage in banter), divertirse (to play or do something amusing)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does banter come from?

1670s as verb, 1680s as noun. The origin is unknown, possibly from London street slang; ostensibly as *bant + -er (frequentative suffix). Possibly an Anglo-Gaelicism from the Irish bean (“woman”), so that "banter" means "talk of women."

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after banter