Pronunciation

How to pronounce “bargain

“bargain” is pronounced /ˈbɑɹɡən/ (BAHR-guhn) in American English and /bɑːɡɪn/ in British English, and /ˈbɑɹɡɪn/ is also accepted — 2 syllables, stressed on “bar”.
The sound

Say “bargain” in 2 beats

Say it like this

bargain

/ˈbɑɹɡən/

The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /bɑːɡɪn/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.

2 beats
  1. barbɑɹstress
  2. gainɡən
IPA (American)
/ˈbɑɹɡən/
IPA (British)
/bɑːɡɪn/
Also accepted
/ˈbɑɹɡɪn/
Respelling
BAHR-guhn
Syllables
2 — BAR-gain
Stress
Stress the first syllable: BAR-gain. “bar” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Part of speech
noun, verb
Difficulty
Pro — the sounds are ordinary, the rhythm is where it slips
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈbɑɹɡən/

British

/bɑːɡɪn/

No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.

Meaning

What “bargain” means

  1. noun

    an agreement between parties (usually arrived at after discussion) fixing obligations of each

    he made a bargain with the devil

  2. noun

    an advantageous purchase

    she got a bargain at the auction

  3. verb

    negotiate the terms of an exchange

    We bargained for a beautiful rug in the bazaar

Say it in a sentence

The old desk was a real bargain at that price.
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

6 sounds, in the order you say them

Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.

Questions

bargain”, answered

How do you pronounce “bargain”?

“bargain” is pronounced /ˈbɑɹɡən/ (BAHR-guhn) in American English and /bɑːɡɪn/ in British English, and /ˈbɑɹɡɪn/ is also accepted — 2 syllables, stressed on “bar”. Build it as BAR-gain, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “bargain” have?

2: bar · gain. The beat lands on the first, “bar”.

Is “bargain” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈbɑɹɡən/ (BAHR-guhn); British English says /bɑːɡɪn/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “bargain” mean?

As a noun: an agreement between parties (usually arrived at after discussion) fixing obligations of each For example: “he made a bargain with the devil” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “bargain”?

Stress the first syllable: BAR-gain. “bar” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “bargain” and see every sound

Record it once and sayit lines your audio up against the target sound by sound — what landed, what slipped, and what it sounded like instead.