be quiet

/biˈkwaɪˌət/

//biˈkwaɪˌət// intj

"be-quiet" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“be quiet” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an interjection. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Remain silent. Sometimes used as a more polite synonym of shut up.

Corpus desk

Index EN-be-quiet · be quiet · English

be quiet · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "B" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for be quiet
PropertyValue
Headwordbe quiet
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechInterjection
IPA/biˈkwaɪˌət/
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “be quiet” in English

be quietsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

be quiet is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as aninterjection, transcribed /biˈkwaɪˌət/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Remain silent. Sometimes used as a more polite synonym of shut up.".

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for be quiet, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From be + quiet. The correct English form is be quiet, spelled B-E- -Q-U-I-E-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Remain silent. Sometimes used as a more polite synonym of shut up.

Etymology

From be + quiet.

Synonyms

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "be quiet"?
"be quiet" is spelled B-E- -Q-U-I-E-T. The IPA pronunciation is /biˈkwaɪˌət/.
What does "be quiet" mean?
As an interjection, "be quiet" means: Remain silent. Sometimes used as a more polite synonym of shut up.
How do you pronounce "be quiet"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "be quiet" is /biˈkwaɪˌət/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "be quiet"?
From be + quiet. See the full etymology section above for more details.
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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list