RAH-buhn
/ˈɹɑbən/
robin is pronounced RAH-buhn (/ˈɹɑbən/). A small passerine bird, the American robin and related species, often red-orange breast in males. The word also refers to the European robin and to the given name. In everyday usage, 'robin' denotes the bird; as a surname or nickname it can imply a person named Robin. The term is common in both ornithology and general conversation.
A small passerine bird, the American robin and related species, often red-orange breast in males. The word also refers to the European robin and to the given name. In everyday usage, 'robin' denotes the bird; as a surname or nickname it can imply a person named Robin. The term is common in both ornithology and general conversation.
"The robin hopped along the garden wall, bright beak gleaming."
"Scientists recorded the robin’s song at dawn."
"She wore a robin-red breast badge during the charity event."
robin is two syllables with stress on the first: US /ˈroʊ.bɪn/, UK/AU /ˈrəʊ.bɪn/. Start with a strong /roʊ/ in US where the nucleus is a long O, then lightly release into /bɪn/. In careful speech, ensure the /r/ is pronounced; in some UK accents the first vowel can be a short, near-close /ə/, yielding /ˈrəʊ.bɪn/ or /ˈrəʊ.bɪn/. Audio reference: you can check native speaker pronunciations on Forvo or Cambridge Online Dictionary entry for robin.
Common errors: replacing /roʊ/ with a lax /rɪ/ or /rə/; pronouncing /bɪn/ as /bin/ with a tense vowel; weakening the initial /r/ in some accents. To correct: practice the nucleus as a clear, rounded long O (/oʊ/ in US, /əʊ/ in UK/AU) with the tongue high-mid and lip rounding; ensure the /b/ is a full stop-consonant and the final /ɪn/ is a short, relaxed vowel followed by /n/. Slow drills: /ˈroʊ.bɪn/ vs /ˈrəʊ.bɪn/; emphasize the r-coloring and the tight, brief /b/ release.
In US English, robin typically uses /ˈroʊ.bɪn/ with a tense, diphthong /oʊ/ and rhotacized control of /r/. UK/AU often prefer /ˈrəʊ.bɪn/ with a non-rhotics in many UK varieties, where the /r/ is less pronounced and the first vowel is a /əʊ/; UK listeners may also show a slightly more centralized /ɪ/ in the second syllable. Australian pronunciation tends toward /ˈrəʊ.bɪn/ similar to UK, but with a stronger compressed vowel and a light, alveolar /n/ at the end. Overall, US is rhotic; UK/AU show non-rhotic tendencies with slight vowel quality shifts.
The difficulty stems from the diphthongal nucleus in /roʊ/ or /rəʊ/ and the short, clipped /ɪ/ in the second syllable, which can blur in rapid speech. Practitioners may mispronounce as /ˈrob.ɪn/ or /ˈro.bɪn/ by inserting a consonant break after /ro/. The subtle differentiation between /roʊ/ and /rəʊ/ across accents and the flapped or tapped /ɾ/ in some contexts adds to inconsistency. Focus on maintaining a clean, two-syllable cadence and precise lip rounding.
A robin’s first syllable often carries contrastive stress and a rounded vowel that can be misheard as /ɔ/ or /æ/ by learners. The unique aspect is the subtle onset of the /r/ sound in rhotics versus non-rhotics and how the tongue starts high and back for /roʊ/ or /rəʊ/, transitioning to a short /ɪ/ before /n/. Keeping the two-syllable rhythm and crisp /b/ closure helps prevent common misperceptions.
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The word robin comes from Old English ribbe or ruben, related to ‘robbe’ in some Germanic languages, with influence from the name Robin (a diminutive of Robert) in medieval English. The term for the bird in North America likely derives from the European robin (Erithacus rubecula) being among the first familiar red-breasted birds encountered by settlers, and the name Robin became associated with the small bright red-breasted Thrush-like species in North America due to its likeness. In Middle English, robin referred to a small, familiar man or impish character, but by the 16th century it was widely adopted in popular culture as the name of a cheerful, approachable figure—paralleling the robin’s approachable, familiar presence in yards and gardens. The modern use as the common name for Turdus migratorius (American robin) and Erithacus rubecula (European robin) situates robin squarely in the realm of everyday birds and the given name, with the shared root tied to red coloration and a folkloric, friendly persona. First known use of the modern bird name appears in 18th–19th century ornithology texts, while the given name Robin has roots in the medieval diminutive of Robert, rising to general use in English-speaking communities through the 17th–19th centuries.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "robin" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "robin" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "robin"
-bin sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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