becalm
/bɪˈkɑːm/
"becalm" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“becalm” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 6
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To make calm or still; make quiet; calm.
Corpus desk
Index EN-becalm · becalm · English
becalm · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 6 letters
- VOW-2 2 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.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | becalm |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /bɪˈkɑːm/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “becalm” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
becalm is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /bɪˈkɑːm/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
Zero misspellings are on record for becalm in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: From be- + calm. The correct English form is becalm, spelled B-E-C-A-L-M.
Definition
- 1To make calm or still; make quiet; calm.
- 2To deprive (a ship) of wind, so that it cannot move (usually in passive).
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how becalm appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
[…] there is neither house nor landes, nor great store of gold & siluer, nor honor and noblenes of blood, nor greatnes of office, and estate, nor the grace and vehemencie of speach, which doth so much lighten, and so sweetlie becalme the life of man, as an vndefiled conscience […]
Almighty Beauty quite becalms my Rage: In looking on thee, I forget thy Crimes:
Etymology
From be- + calm.
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
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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.