barf
/bɑɹf/noun, verb, interjection
barf is spelled B-A-R-F: 4 letters and one syllable. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 39,832nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, barf means “Vomit” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in barf?
| Letters | 4: B-A-R-F |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 39,832nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Sounds like | |
| 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 barf?
Barf appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 39,832nd 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 barf?
- UK /bɑːf/
- US /bɑɹf/
Barf has one syllable (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: En-au-barf.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with barf
Sounds like: Barff (Wiktionary's homophone list; some hold only in some accents).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What rhymes with barf?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as barf from its last stressed vowel (/ɑɹf/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: farb.
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 barf
- barfs present, singular, he/she/it
- barfing participle, present
- barfed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does barf mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
UScolloquialVomit.
verb
- 1
UScolloquialTo vomit.
- 2
slangOf a system: to fail.
The program barfed as a result of the invalid input.
interjection
- 1
colloquialAn expression of disgust.
noun
- 1
Acronym of Biologically Appropriate Raw Food or Bones And Raw Food, a raw food diet for dogs or cats.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Barf in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense (of a software system) fail:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | se planter |
| German | versagen |
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 barf come from?
Uncertain. Probably of imitative origin.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).