bestrafen

[bəˈʃtʁaːfn̩]

/[bəˈʃtʁaːfn̩]/ verb

The verdict

“bestrafen” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #9,861 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#9,861
frequency rank, German
9
letters
14
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - jemandem aufgrund einer schlechten Handlung negative Konsequenzen zuführen

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

bestrafen vs bestraft
78% similar
bestrafen vs betragen
78% similar
bestrafen vs betrafen
89% similar

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

Key facts for bestrafen
PropertyValue
Headwordbestrafen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[bəˈʃtʁaːfn̩]
Letters9
Frequency rank#9,861
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “bestrafen” 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). bestrafen 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 bestrafen is 9 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [bəˈʃtʁaːfn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #9,861 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "jemandem aufgrund einer schlechten Handlung negative Konsequenzen zuführen".

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for bestrafen, with forms such as "bbestrafen", "besrtafen", and "besstrafen". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "bestraft", "betragen", "betrafen", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No documented word history exists for this headword, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct German form is bestrafen, spelled B-E-S-T-R-A-F-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    jemandem aufgrund einer schlechten Handlung negative Konsequenzen zuführen

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bbestrafen,besrtafen,besstrafen,bestarfen,bestraefn,bestrafenn,bestraffen,bestrafne,bestrfaen,bestrrafen,besttrafen,betsrafen,bsetrafen,ebstrafen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of bestrafen - 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.

bbestrafen1besrtafen2besstrafen1bestarfen2bestraefn2bestrafenn1bestraffen1bestrafne2
Edit distance from "bestrafen"

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 "bestrafen"?
"bestrafen" is spelled B-E-S-T-R-A-F-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [bəˈʃtʁaːfn̩].
What does "bestrafen" mean?
As a verb, "bestrafen" means: jemandem aufgrund einer schlechten Handlung negative Konsequenzen zuführen
What words are commonly confused with "bestrafen"?
"bestrafen" is commonly confused with "bestraft", "betragen", "betrafen". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "bestrafen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bestrafen" is [bəˈʃtʁaːfn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "bestrafen" come from?
"bestrafen" 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 “bestrafen”

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

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