# bested vs bestow

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### bested
*verb · IPA /ˈbɛstɪd/ · frequency rank #40,581*
simple past and past participle of best

### bestow
*verb · IPA /bɪˈstəʊ/ · frequency rank #29,557*
To apply or make use of (someone or something); to employ, to use.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bested-vs-bestow