Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

birr

/bɜː/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.10 in modern English

Syllables: birr
IPA: /bɜː/

6

Scrabble Score

4

Letters

1

Syllables

3

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Strength, vigor, energy.

noun

The force of movement; rush, impetus, momentum, driving force.

noun

A whirring noise.

noun

A strong trilling.

verb

To make a whirring noise; make a noise like that of revolving wheels, or of millstones at work.

verb

To lurch or set to spinning.

noun

The currency of Ethiopia, divided into 100 santims.

name

Uncountable

Example Sentences

"Ye'll be sae kind as let me see How this same bird o' yours can flee. T'oblige ye, friend, I winna stand — Syne loos'd the falcon frae his hand. Unhooded, up she sprang wi' birr, While baith stood staring after her."
"Then steer thro' life wi' birr an' vigour"
"Your chanter sets us a ' a-steer, Get out your pipes and blaw wi' birr, We'll dance the Highland fling"
"The congregation sang them with such ' birr and go.'"
"The late David Kennedy, the eininent Scottish vocalist, sang it with great birr."
"Bleak winter reigns, ilk hill's o'erlaid wi' snaw, Cauld frae the north wi' bir the tempests blaw."

Etymology

From Middle English bir (“favorable or strong wind”), from Old English byre (“strong wind, storm”); cognate with Norwegian Nynorsk bør, Icelandic byrr (“sailing winds”), Albanian borë (“snow”), and Polish burza (“storm, thunderstorm”).

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: bir, byre

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /bɜː/
British English: /bɜː/

Usage

Uncountable

Inflected Forms

birrs (plural) birrs (present, singular) birring (participle, present) birred (participle, past) birred (past)

Synonyms

ETB whir whirr whirring whizz whiz purr

Homonyms

bur burr Burr (all fern–fir–fur merger) bare bear (both fair–fur merger) beer

Rhymes With

were her per sir transfer prefer occur refer der inter fur entrepreneur

Questions

How do you pronounce birr?: The recorded pronunciation is /bɜː/.
What does birr mean?: Strength, vigor, energy.
Where does birr come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce birr

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