baron
/ˈbæɹən/
noun
Common
1.n.a nobleman (in various countries) of varying rank
2.n.a British peer of the lowest rank
3.n.a very wealthy or powerful businessman
“an oil baron”
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baron and barren are homophones: they are pronounced identically and spelled differently, which is why they are so often swapped. baron means “a nobleman (in various countries) of varying rank”. barren means “providing no shelter or sustenance”. baron is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈbæɹən/
1.n.a nobleman (in various countries) of varying rank
2.n.a British peer of the lowest rank
3.n.a very wealthy or powerful businessman
“an oil baron”
/ˈbæɹən/
| baron | barren | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈbæɹən/ | /ˈbæɹən/ |
| Said | BAR-uhn | BAR-uhn |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 5 | 6 |
| Parts of speech | noun | adjective, noun |
| Senses | 3 | 4 |
| How common | Common | Familiar |
| Synonyms | none recorded | bare, bleak, desolate |
Full entry for baron · Full entry for barren · More comparisons
1.adj.providing no shelter or sustenance
“bare rocky hills”
2.adj.not bearing offspring
“a barren woman”
3.adj.completely wanting or lacking
“writing barren of insight”