# because

> English word · Conjunction · IPA /bɪkəz/ · frequency rank #97

## Definitions
1. By or for the cause that; on this account that; for the reason that.
2. As is known, inferred, or determined from the fact that.
3. So that, in order that.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₁ep-der.
Proto-Indo-European *h₁epsder.
Proto-Indo-European *h₁epider.
Proto-Indo-European *h₁pi
Proto-Germanic *bi
Proto-West Germanic *bī
Old English bī
Middle English by
Proto-Italic *kaussā
Old Latin caussa
Latin causabor.
Old French causebor.
Middle English cause
Middle English bi cause
English because
From Middle English bi cause, from bi (“by”) + cause, modelled on Old French par cause.

## Easily confused with
- **became** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/became-vs-because)

## Common misspellings (9)
`bbecause`, `bceause`, `beacuse`, `becasue`, `becaues`, `becausse`, `beccause`, `becuase`, `ebcause`

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