Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

sparse

/spɑːɹs/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.36 in modern English

Syllables: sparse
IPA: /spɑːɹs/

8

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

1

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Having widely spaced intervals.

adj

Not dense; meager; scanty

adj

Having few nonzero elements

verb

To disperse, to scatter.

Obsolete

Example Sentences

"a sparse array, index, or matrix"
"The Leicester to Grimsby service will become hourly throughout (with some extensions to Cleethorpes as at present), while a new hourly Peterborough to Doncaster service via Spalding, Sleaford and Lincoln will join up two routes with a sparse service at present."
"They began properly to ſparſe pretye rumours in the North, that no man ſhulde eate whyte breade, no man eate pygge, gooſe, or capon, without he agreed before with the kynge."

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin sparsus.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /spɑːɹs/
British English: /spɑːs/

Usage

Obsolete

Inflected Forms

sparser (comparative) sparsest (superlative) sparses (present, singular) sparsing (participle, present) sparsed (participle, past) sparsed (past)

Derived Forms

nonsparse sparsely sparsen sparseness sparsification sparsify sparsistency sparsistent sparsity ultrasparse unsparse sparsedly

Phrases

sparse array sparse table thin out

Frequently Paired Words

sparge thin out

Synonyms

besprenge broadcast desparple discuss disgregate disparkle disparple dispel disperple disperse distribute dwindle

Rhymes With

arse farce parse carse marse pars fars barse farse searce

Questions

How do you pronounce sparse?: The recorded pronunciation is /spɑːɹs/.
What does sparse mean?: Having widely spaced intervals.
Where does sparse come from?: Borrowed from Latin sparsus.

How to pronounce sparse

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