Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

parson

/ˈpɑɹsən/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.82 in modern English

Syllables
par-son
IPA
/ˈpɑɹsən/
8
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An Anglican cleric having full legal control of a parish under ecclesiastical law.

noun

A Protestant minister.

noun

A Roman Catholic priest of an independent parish church.

name

A surname.

Example Sentences

  • "a lewde curate, A parson benyfyced But nothynge well advysed."

Etymology

From Middle English persoun, from Anglo-Norman, Old French persone (“parson, person”), from Medieval Latin persona (“parson, person”), from Latin persona (“person”). Doublet of person and persona.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈpɑɹsən/
  • British English: /ˈpɑːs(ə)n/

Inflected Forms

parsons (plural)

Derived Forms

parsonage parsonarchy parsondom parsoned parsoness parsonhood parsonic parsonical parsonish parsonlike parsonly parsonship

Phrases

Fleet parson hedge parson hunting parson parson bird Parson Drove parson imparsonee parson-in-the-pulpit Parson Russell

Frequently Paired Words

vicar

Synonyms

rector autem bawler autem jet curate minister of religion minister pastor

Homonyms

parcen

Rhymes With

carson arson larson larsen larsson garson marson farson karson barson

Questions

How do you pronounce parson?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈpɑɹsən/.
What does parson mean?
An Anglican cleric having full legal control of a parish under ecclesiastical law.
Where does parson come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce parson

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