bestem

[ˈbɛstəm]

/[ˈbɛstəm]/ adj

The verdict

“bestem” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #18,189 in German word frequency and used as an adjective.

#18,189
frequency rank, German
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Dativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Superlativs des Adjektivs gut

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

bestem vs Beute
50% similar
bestem vs beten
67% similar
bestem vs betet
67% similar

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

Key facts for bestem
PropertyValue
Headwordbestem
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[ˈbɛstəm]
Letters6
Frequency rank#18,189
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “bestem” 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). bestem 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 bestem is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈbɛstəm]. Corpus data places it at rank #18,189 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for bestem, with forms such as "bbestem", "besetm", and "besstem". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Beute", "beten", "betet", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct German form is bestem, spelled B-E-S-T-E-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    Dativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Superlativs des Adjektivs gut
  2. 2
    Dativ Singular Neutrum der starken Flexion des Superlativs des Adjektivs gut

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bbestem,besetm,besstem,bestemm,bestme,besttem,betsem,bsetem,ebstem

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of bestem - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

bbestem1besetm2besstem1bestemm1bestme2besttem1betsem2bsetem2
Edit distance from "bestem"

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 "bestem"?
"bestem" is spelled B-E-S-T-E-M. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈbɛstəm].
What does "bestem" mean?
As an adjective, "bestem" means: Dativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Superlativs des Adjektivs gut
What words are commonly confused with "bestem"?
"bestem" is commonly confused with "Beute", "beten", "betet". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "bestem"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bestem" is [ˈbɛstəm]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "bestem" come from?
"bestem" is a German word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “bestem”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is B-E-S-T-E-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈbɛstəm] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Beute” - see the side-by-side comparison. bestem vs Beute
  • 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