barrette

/bəˈɹɛt/

//bəˈɹɛt// noun

"barrette" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“barrette” is an uncommon English word, ranked #85,021 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#85,021
frequency rank, English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A clasp or clip for gathering and holding the hair.

Key facts for barrette
PropertyValue
Headwordbarrette
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/bəˈɹɛt/
Letters8
Frequency rank#85,021
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “barrette” 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). barrette 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 barrette is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /bəˈɹɛt/. Corpus data places it at rank #85,021 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for barrette, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French barrette, from barre (“a bar”) + -ette, literally a small bar. The correct English form is barrette, spelled B-A-R-R-E-T-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A clasp or clip for gathering and holding the hair.
  2. 2
    A bar used to mount medals of chivalric orders.
  3. 3
    Synonym of katepimeron.

Etymology

Borrowed from French barrette, from barre (“a bar”) + -ette, literally a small bar.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

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 "barrette"?
"barrette" is spelled B-A-R-R-E-T-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /bəˈɹɛt/.
What does "barrette" mean?
As a noun, "barrette" means: A clasp or clip for gathering and holding the hair.
How do you pronounce "barrette"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "barrette" is /bəˈɹɛt/. 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 "barrette"?
Borrowed from French barrette, from barre (“a bar”) + -ette, literally a small bar. 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 “barrette”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is B-A-R-R-E-T-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /bəˈɹɛt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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