bean

/ˈbi(ː)n/

//ˈbi(ː)n// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"bean" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“bean” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #7,313 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#7,313
frequency rank, English
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any plant of several genera of the taxonomic family Fabaceae that produces large edible seeds or edible seedpods.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

bean vs bn
50% similar
bean vs bed
50% similar
bean vs bet
50% similar

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

Key facts for bean
PropertyValue
Headwordbean
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈbi(ː)n/
Letters4
Frequency rank#7,313
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “bean” sits in English 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). bean 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 English entry for bean is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈbi(ː)n/. Corpus data places it at rank #7,313 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 13 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for bean, with forms such as "baen", "bbean", and "beann". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "bn", "bed", "bet", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English bene, from Old English bēan, from Proto-West Germanic *baunu, from Proto-Germanic *baunō (“bean”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰabʰ- (“bean”). Cognate with Scots bene, bein (“bean”), North Frisian buan (“bean”), Saterland Frisian Boone (“… The correct English form is bean, spelled B-E-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any plant of several genera of the taxonomic family Fabaceae that produces large edible seeds or edible seedpods.
  2. 2
    The large edible seed of such a plant (for example, a broad bean, navy bean, or garbanzo bean).
  3. 3
    The edible seedpod of such a plant.
  4. 4
    The bean-like seed of certain other plants, such as a vanilla bean or (especially) a coffee bean.
  5. 5
    An object resembling a pea or bean in shape, often made from plastic or styrofoam and used in large numbers as packing material or as stuffing for beanbags and similar items.
  6. 6
    The head or brain.
  7. 7
    The human clitoris.
  8. 8
    A person; especially, a baby.
  9. 9
    A guinea coin or sovereign.
  10. 10
    Money.
  11. 11
    Clipping of JavaBean.
  12. 12
    Any form of tablet, especially benzedrine (benny).
  13. 13
    A toe bean.

Etymology

From Middle English bene, from Old English bēan, from Proto-West Germanic *baunu, from Proto-Germanic *baunō (“bean”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰabʰ- (“bean”). Cognate with Scots bene, bein (“bean”), North Frisian buan (“bean”), Saterland Frisian Boone (“bean”), West Frisian bean, beanne (“bean”), Dutch boon (“bean”), German Bohne (“bean”), Luxembourgish Boun (“bean”), Danish bønne (“bean”), Faroese bøn, bøna (“bean”), Icelandic baun (“bean”), Norwegian Bokmål bønne (“bean”), Norwegian Nynorsk bauna, baune, bogna, bønne, Swedish böna (“bean”), Irish pónaire (“bean”), Manx poanrey (“bean”), Scottish Gaelic pònair (“bean”), Latin faba (“bean”), Russian боб (bob, “bean”), Serbo-Croatian бо̏б/bȍb. Doublet of fava.

This word in other languages

haba(Español)haricot(Français)Bohne(Deutsch)feijão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: baen,bbean,beann,bena,eban

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

baen2bbean1beann1bena2eban2
Edit distance from "bean"

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 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "bean"?
"bean" is spelled B-E-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbi(ː)n/.
What does "bean" mean?
As a noun, "bean" means: Any plant of several genera of the taxonomic family Fabaceae that produces large edible seeds or edible seedpods.
What words are commonly confused with "bean"?
"bean" is commonly confused with "bn", "bed", "bet". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "bean"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bean" is /ˈbi(ː)n/. 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 "bean"?
From Middle English bene, from Old English bēan, from Proto-West Germanic *baunu, from Proto-Germanic *baunō (“bean”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰabʰ- (“bean”). Cognate with Scots bene, bein (“bean”), North Frisian buan (“bean”), Saterland Frisia... 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.

Using “bean”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is B-E-A-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈbi(ː)n/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “bn” - see the side-by-side comparison. bean vs bn
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English 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