# bested vs busted

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

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

### busted
*adjective · IPA /ˈbʌs.tɪd/ · frequency rank #10,003*
Having a certain type of bust (breasts; cleavage).

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