barren

/ˈbæɹən/

//ˈbæɹən// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"barren" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“barren” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #17,081 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#17,081
frequency rank, English
6
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Not bearing children, childless; hence also unable to bear children, sterile.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

barren vs bren
67% similar
barren vs Barry
50% similar
barren vs burden
67% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for barren
PropertyValue
Headwordbarren
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈbæɹən/
Letters6
Frequency rank#17,081
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “barren” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). barren lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for barren is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈbæɹən/. Corpus data places it at rank #17,081 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for barren, with forms such as "abrren", "baren", and "barern". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "bren", "Barry", "burden", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English bareyne, from Anglo-Norman baraigne, baraing (“sterile; barren”), of obscure origin; probably from a Germanic language, perhaps Frankish *baʀ (“bare; barren”), from Proto-Germanic *bazaz (“bare”). If so, a doublet of bare. The correct English form is barren, spelled B-A-R-R-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Not bearing children, childless; hence also unable to bear children, sterile.
  2. 2
    Not bearing seed or fruit.
  3. 3
    Of poor fertility, infertile; not producing vegetation; desert, waste.
  4. 4
    Devoid, lacking.
  5. 5
    Devoid of interest or attraction, poor, bleak.
  6. 6
    Unproductive, fruitless, unprofitable; empty, hollow, vain.
  7. 7
    Mentally dull or unproductive; stupid or intellectually fallow.

Etymology

From Middle English bareyne, from Anglo-Norman baraigne, baraing (“sterile; barren”), of obscure origin; probably from a Germanic language, perhaps Frankish *baʀ (“bare; barren”), from Proto-Germanic *bazaz (“bare”). If so, a doublet of bare.

Synonyms

sterilefruitless

Antonyms

fertilefruitful

This word in other languages

estéril(Español)stérile(Français)steril(Deutsch)árido(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: abrren,baren,barern,barrenn,barrne,bbarren,braren

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of barren - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

abrren2baren1barern2barrenn1barrne2bbarren1braren2
Edit distance from "barren"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "barren"?
"barren" is spelled B-A-R-R-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbæɹən/.
What does "barren" mean?
As an adjective, "barren" means: Not bearing children, childless; hence also unable to bear children, sterile.
What words are commonly confused with "barren"?
"barren" is commonly confused with "bren", "Barry", "burden". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "barren"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "barren" is /ˈbæɹən/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "barren"?
From Middle English bareyne, from Anglo-Norman baraigne, baraing (“sterile; barren”), of obscure origin; probably from a Germanic language, perhaps Frankish *baʀ (“bare; barren”), from Proto-Germanic *bazaz (“bare”). If so, a doublet of bare. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “barren”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is B-A-R-R-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈbæɹən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “bren” - see the side-by-side comparison. barren vs bren
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list