besten

[ˈbɛstn̩]

/[ˈbɛstn̩]/ adj

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

The verdict

“besten” is in the everyday core of German, ranked #375 in German word frequency and used as an adjective.

#375
frequency rank, German
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Genitiv 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).

besten vs bösen
67% similar
besten vs Beute
50% similar
besten vs beten
83% similar

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

Key facts for besten
PropertyValue
Headwordbesten
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[ˈbɛstn̩]
Letters6
Frequency rank#375
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “besten” 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). besten 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 besten is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈbɛstn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #375 in overall German word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 20 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 besten, with forms such as "bbesten", "besetn", and "bessten". 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, "bösen", "Beute", "beten", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is besten, spelled B-E-S-T-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Superlativs des Adjektivs gut
  2. 2
    Akkusativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Superlativs des Adjektivs gut
  3. 3
    Genitiv Singular Neutrum der starken Flexion des Superlativs des Adjektivs gut
  4. 4
    Dativ Plural der starken Flexion des Superlativs des Adjektivs gut
  5. 5
    Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der schwachen Flexion des Superlativs des Adjektivs gut
  6. 6
    Dativ Singular Maskulinum der schwachen Flexion des Superlativs des Adjektivs gut
  7. 7
    Akkusativ Singular Maskulinum der schwachen Flexion des Superlativs des Adjektivs gut
  8. 8
    Genitiv Singular Femininum der schwachen Flexion des Superlativs des Adjektivs gut
  9. 9
    Dativ Singular Femininum der schwachen Flexion des Superlativs des Adjektivs gut
  10. 10
    Genitiv Singular Neutrum der schwachen Flexion des Superlativs des Adjektivs gut
  11. 11
    Dativ Singular Neutrum der schwachen Flexion des Superlativs des Adjektivs gut
  12. 12
    Plural der schwachen Flexion des Superlativs des Adjektivs gut
  13. 13
    Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der gemischten Flexion des Superlativs des Adjektivs gut
  14. 14
    Dativ Singular Maskulinum der gemischten Flexion des Superlativs des Adjektivs gut
  15. 15
    Akkusativ Singular Maskulinum der gemischten Flexion des Superlativs des Adjektivs gut
  16. 16
    Genitiv Singular Femininum der gemischten Flexion des Superlativs des Adjektivs gut
  17. 17
    Dativ Singular Femininum der gemischten Flexion des Superlativs des Adjektivs gut
  18. 18
    Genitiv Singular Neutrum der gemischten Flexion des Superlativs des Adjektivs gut
  19. 19
    Dativ Singular Neutrum der gemischten Flexion des Superlativs des Adjektivs gut
  20. 20
    Plural der gemischten Flexion des Superlativs des Adjektivs gut

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bbesten,besetn,bessten,bestenn,bestne,bestten,betsen,bseten,ebsten

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of besten - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

bbesten1besetn2bessten1bestenn1bestne2bestten1betsen2bseten2
Edit distance from "besten"

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 "besten"?
"besten" is spelled B-E-S-T-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈbɛstn̩].
What does "besten" mean?
As an adjective, "besten" means: Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Superlativs des Adjektivs gut
What words are commonly confused with "besten"?
"besten" is commonly confused with "bösen", "Beute", "beten". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "besten"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "besten" is [ˈbɛstn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "besten" come from?
"besten" is a German word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “besten”

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

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