Which to use
“bestow” is a verb and “bests” is an intj - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #29,557
- “bestow” frequency rank
- #47,490
- “bests” frequency rank
- 77047
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | bestow | bests |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To apply or make use of (someone or something); to employ, to use. | A polite, formulaic end to a letter or email. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set bestow and bests apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: bestow is /bɪˈstəʊ/ while bests is /bɛsts/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs intj), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 77047, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
bestow is recorded at frequency rank #29,557, classified as averb, pronounced /bɪˈstəʊ/. bests is at rank #47,490, tagged as anintj, pronounced /bɛsts/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 77047, this pair ranks #28,361 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of bestow vs bests
Shared letters: best. Private to "bestow": ow. Private to "bests": -.
"bestow" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "bests" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "bestow" and "bests" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "bestow" or "bests"?
Remembering bestow vs bests
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “bestow”; for an intj, it's “bests”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “bestow” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable