Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

barbary

/ˈbɑː(ɹ)bəɹi/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.61 in modern English

Syllables: bar-bary
IPA: /ˈbɑː(ɹ)bəɹi/

14

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

3

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

name

The Mediterranean coastal areas of North Africa that were used as a base by pirates in the 16th to 19th centuries.

adj

barbarian; non-Christian

Obsolete

Example Sentences

"[King of] Moro[cco]. Ye Moores and valiant men of Barbary, How can ye ſuffer theſe indignities?"
"Have all his ventures fail'd? What! not one hit? From Tripolis, from Mexico, and England; From Lisbon, Barbary, and India?"

Etymology

From Berber + -y, influenced by barbary (“barbarian, non-Christian”). See also Arabic بَرْبَرِيّ (barbariyy, “Berber”).

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: barbarye

Usage

Obsolete

Inflected Forms

Barbarie (alternative, obsolete)

Phrases

Barbary Coast Barbary duck Barbary falcon Barbary sheep jealous as a Barbary pigeon

Rhymes With

harbury

Questions

How do you pronounce barbary?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈbɑː(ɹ)bəɹi/.
What does barbary mean?: The Mediterranean coastal areas of North Africa that were used as a base by pirates in the 16th to 19th centuries.
Where does barbary come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce barbary

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