Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

oiran

/ˈɔɪɹən/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.17 in modern English

Syllables: oiran
IPA: /ˈɔɪɹən/

5

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

1

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A high-status courtesan in Japan.

Example Sentences

"The oiran of Mitarai was not like the geisha. Like the great eighteenth-century courtesans of Europe, she knew who and what she was and turned wanton provocation into an art."

Etymology

From Japanese 花魁, literally ‘flower-leader’.

Inflected Forms

oirans (plural)

Questions

How do you pronounce oiran?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈɔɪɹən/.
What does oiran mean?: A high-status courtesan in Japan.
Where does oiran come from?: From Japanese 花魁, literally ‘flower-leader’.

How to pronounce oiran

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