Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

barter

/ˈbɑɹ.tɚ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.05 in modern English

Syllables: barter
IPA: /ˈbɑɹ.tɚ/

8

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An exchange of goods or services without the use of money.

Uncountable

noun

The goods or services used in such an exchange.

Uncountable

verb

To exchange goods or services without involving money.

name

Example Sentences

"We had no money so we had to live by barter."
"Speculations in trade are not confined to the counter or to the counting-house. Lady Anne's fair hair and white teeth were as much objects of barter as any of the shawls or ribbons displayed in Bond Street. They were to be had in exchange for a suit of diamonds and an opera-box."
"The man used his watch as barter to pay for his tab."
"She bartered a bonsai for one of the rare books in my library."
"You may be able to barter for some of the items you need at the local market."

Etymology

Late Middle English, from Old French barater.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: -, barater

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈbɑɹ.tɚ/
British English: /ˈbɑː.(ɹ)tə(ɹ)/

Usage

Uncountable

Inflected Forms

barters (plural) barters (present, singular) bartering (participle, present) bartered (participle, past) bartered (past)

Derived Forms

barterable barterer rebarter unbartered

Phrases

silent barter payment in kind

Frequently Paired Words

payment in kind

Synonyms

chaffer quid pro quo swap swop trade barter chop dicker exchange truck scorse

Antonyms

buy sell

Rhymes With

carter charter starter non-starter smarter kickstarter martyr garter tartar mccarter darter harter

Questions

How do you pronounce barter?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈbɑɹ.tɚ/.
What does barter mean?: An exchange of goods or services without the use of money.
Where does barter come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce barter

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “barter”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈbɑɹ.tɚ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “barter”.
Repeat and practice — Say “barter” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.