ripen
/ˈɹaɪpən/verb
ripen is spelled R-I-P-E-N: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 44,767th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, ripen means “Of grain, fruit, flowers, etc., to grow ripe; to become mature” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in ripen?
| Letters | 5: R-I-P-E-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 44,767th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| 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 ripen?
Ripen appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 44,767th 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 ripen?
- /ˈɹaɪpən/
Ripen 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-ripen.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with ripen?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as ripen.
Spelled with the same letters in another order: repin, piner.
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 ripen
- ripens present, singular, he/she/it
- ripening participle, present
- ripened participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does ripen mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
Of grain, fruit, flowers, etc., to grow ripe; to become mature.
Grapes ripen in the sun.
- 2
To approach or come to perfection.
- 3
To cause (something) to mature; to make ripe.
The warm sun ripened the corn.
- 4
To mature; to fit or prepare; to bring to perfection.
ripen the judgment
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Ripen in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | mûrir , faire mûrir , amener à maturité |
| German | reifen , ausreifen |
| Portuguese | amadurecer, madurar, maturar |
| Spanish | madurar, colorear, jechar |
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 ripen come from?
From Middle English *ripenen, extended form of ripen, from Old English rīpian. In the modern form, equivalent to ripe + -en (inchoative and factitive suffix). As in several other verbs, the alteration seems to have occurred during the time when the infinitive and plural ending -en was in the process of being lost (and was thus open to reinterpretation). The earliest attestation is deverbal Middle English ripening (“causing ripeness, ripening”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).