bescheiden

[bəˈʃaɪ̯dn̩]

/[bəˈʃaɪ̯dn̩]/ adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“bescheiden” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #9,690 in German word frequency and used as an adjective.

#9,690
frequency rank, German
10
letters
14
tracked misspellings
12
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - zurückhaltend; seine Erfolge oder sein Können in Erzählungen schmälernd oder nicht erwähnend

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

bescheiden vs bescheren
80% similar
bescheiden vs beschieden
80% similar
bescheiden vs beschenken
80% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for bescheiden
PropertyValue
Headwordbescheiden
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[bəˈʃaɪ̯dn̩]
Letters10
Frequency rank#9,690
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs12
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “bescheiden” sits in German frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). bescheiden lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for bescheiden is 10 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [bəˈʃaɪ̯dn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #9,690 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for bescheiden, with forms such as "bbescheiden", "becsheiden", and "besccheiden". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 12 confusable-pair relationships, "bescheren", "beschieden", "beschenken", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct German form is bescheiden, spelled B-E-S-C-H-E-I-D-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    zurückhaltend; seine Erfolge oder sein Können in Erzählungen schmälernd oder nicht erwähnend
  2. 2
    einfach, schlicht und ohne großen Luxus
  3. 3
    anstelle von scheiße oder beschissen benutzt, als weniger vulgäre Variante zu verstehen, weil sonst eine Strafe oder Verwarnung drohen kann

Synonyms

zurückhaltendschlichtanspruchslosunluxuriösunprätentiösbeschissenschlechtuncool

Antonyms

prahlendangeberischunbescheidenprachtvollluxuriöstollcool

This word in other languages

modest(English)modesto(Español)modeste(Français)modesto(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bbescheiden,becsheiden,besccheiden,bescehiden,beschedien,bescheidden,bescheidenn,bescheidne,bescheiedn,beschheiden,beshceiden,besscheiden,bsecheiden,ebscheiden

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of bescheiden - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

bbescheiden1becsheiden2besccheiden1bescehiden2beschedien2bescheidden1bescheidenn1bescheidne2
Edit distance from "bescheiden"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 German corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "bescheiden"?
"bescheiden" is spelled B-E-S-C-H-E-I-D-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [bəˈʃaɪ̯dn̩].
What does "bescheiden" mean?
As an adjective, "bescheiden" means: zurückhaltend; seine Erfolge oder sein Können in Erzählungen schmälernd oder nicht erwähnend
What words are commonly confused with "bescheiden"?
"bescheiden" is commonly confused with "bescheren", "beschieden", "beschenken". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "bescheiden"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bescheiden" is [bəˈʃaɪ̯dn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "bescheiden" come from?
"bescheiden" is a German word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “bescheiden”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct German spelling is B-E-S-C-H-E-I-D-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [bəˈʃaɪ̯dn̩] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “bescheren” - see the side-by-side comparison. bescheiden vs bescheren
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list