Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

harridan

/ˈhæɹ.ɪ.dən/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.69 in modern English

Syllables
har-ri-dan
IPA
/ˈhæɹ.ɪ.dən/
12
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A vicious and scolding woman, especially an older one.

Example Sentences

Etymology

Perhaps a modification of French haridelle (“old horse, nag”).

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈhæɹ.ɪ.dən/
  • British English: /ˈhæɹ.ɪ.dən/

Inflected Forms

Synonyms

Questions

How do you pronounce harridan?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈhæɹ.ɪ.dən/.
What does harridan mean?
A vicious and scolding woman, especially an older one.
Where does harridan come from?
It is traced to French.

How to pronounce harridan

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