Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

baa

[bæ]

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.92 in modern English

Syllables
baa
IPA
[bæ]
5
Scrabble Score
3
Letters
3
Syllables
2
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The characteristic cry or bleating of a sheep or (broader) a sheep or goat.

intj

The characteristic cry of a sheep or (broader) a sheep or goat.

verb

To make the characteristic cry of a sheep or (broader) a sheep or goat.

noun

The letter ب in the Arabic script.

name

Initialism of Broad Agency Announcement.

name

Initialism of Business Associate Agreement: under HIPAA, a contract to protect personal health information.

name

An administrative atoll of the Maldives, officially named Maalhosmadulu Dhekunuburi.

Example Sentences

Etymology

Compare German bäh, mäh; an imitative word. Notes on phonological development The pronunciation /bɑː/ is perhaps a development from earlier /bæː/ reflecting the shift of /æː/ to /ɑː/ during the 18th and 19th centuries. Compare Early Modern English bae, bea, both "to baa", respectively displaying the then current pronunciation of Middle English /aː/ as /æː/ and the failure of Middle English /ɛː/ to raise, and the replacement of mew with meow for another instance where recent sound change has made onomatopoeia opaque.

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: [bæ]
  • British English: [bɑː]

Inflected Forms

baas (plural) bah (alternative, obsolete) baas (present, singular) baaing (participle, present) baaed (participle, past) baaed (past)

Phrases

baa-lamb

Synonyms

bleat bleating blat blate

Homonyms

bah bar (in some pronunciations)

Rhymes With

they way may day say one-way away play today pay stay re

Questions

How do you pronounce baa?
The recorded pronunciation is [bæ].
What does baa mean?
The characteristic cry or bleating of a sheep or (broader) a sheep or goat.
Where does baa come from?
Compare German bäh, mäh; an imitative word. Notes on phonological development The pronunciation /bɑː/ is perhaps a development from earlier /bæː/ reflecting the shift of /æː/ to /ɑː/ during the 18th and 19th centuries. Compare Early Modern English bae, bea, both "to baa", respectively displaying the then current pronunciation of Middle English /aː/ as /æː/ and the failure of Middle English /ɛː/ to raise, and the replacement of mew with meow for another instance where recent sound change has made onomatopoeia opaque.

How to pronounce baa

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “baa”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling ([bæ]) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “baa”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “baa” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.