“Baron” or “Barren”—Which to use?

“Baron” or “Barren”

Overview

baron / barren are similar-sounding terms with different meanings (referred to as homophones). To better understand the differences, see below for definitions, pronunciation guides, and example sentences using each term. 👇

Definitions

baron: (noun) a nobleman (in various countries) of varying rank. (noun) a British peer of the lowest rank. (noun) a very wealthy or powerful businessman.

barren: (noun) an uninhabited wilderness that is worthless for cultivation. (adjective) not bearing offspring. (adjective) completely wanting or lacking.

Pronunciation

baron: b·AE·r·ah·n

barren: b·AE·r·ah·n

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Examples in Context

Examples of “baron”

In the 1980s, Baron Otto von Bressendorf created an…
Category:Taxa named by Baron Cajetan von Felder
…a parody of the Red Baron.
Pip Miller as The Baron of Richmond (Henry George Fisher),…
Henry Hewitt as Baron von Strick
Godfrey Elton, 1st Baron Elton (29 March 1892 –…
1st Baron Elton of Headington in the…
…2004, she married John Gardiner, Baron Gardiner of Kimble.
Baron Riverdale, a title in the…
Self-professed Baron Sentenced to 11 Years on…

Examples of “barren”

…land burned and was left barren.
"Barren Egg" (Eaton, Sobule) – 3:37
…son of Pwyll by making barren and empty the kingdom of
…Strait between Flinders and Cape Barren Islands in the Furneaux Group.
…is an unincorporated community in Barren County, Kentucky, United States.
…so that much land now barren was formerly cultivated and supported…
…imported to the once nearly barren island by Aristotle Onassis.
…have been lost on its barren reefs with crew, cargo and
…Island, Long Island and Cape Barren Island
…of Galatia, is almost wholly barren, only small patches being cultivated…

(Examples are Wikipedia snippets under the CC ShareAlike 3.0 license. Definitions drawn from WordNet.)

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