beckon

/ˈbɛkən/

//ˈbɛkən// verb

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

"beckon" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“beckon” is uncommon English (frequency #59,887 among 31,241 “B” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#59,887
frequency rank, English
31,241
“B” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer.

Key facts for beckon
PropertyValue
Headwordbeckon
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈbɛkən/
Letters6
Frequency rank#59,887
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “beckon” 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). beckon lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

beckon is uncommon English at frequency #59,887 among 31,241 “B” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈbɛkən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for beckon, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English bekenen, beknen, becnen, beknien, from Old English bēacnian, bēcnian, bīecnan (“to signal; beckon”), from Proto-West Germanic *bauknōn, *bauknijan (“to signal”), from *baukn (“signal; beacon”). Cognate with Old Saxon bōknian, Old High Ge… The correct English form is beckon, spelled B-E-C-K-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    To wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer.
  2. 2
    To seem attractive and inviting.

Etymology

From Middle English bekenen, beknen, becnen, beknien, from Old English bēacnian, bēcnian, bīecnan (“to signal; beckon”), from Proto-West Germanic *bauknōn, *bauknijan (“to signal”), from *baukn (“signal; beacon”). Cognate with Old Saxon bōknian, Old High German bouhnen, Old Norse bákna. More at beacon.

This word in other languages

atraer(Español)faire signe(Français)winken(Deutsch)acenar(Português)

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 "beckon"?
"beckon" is spelled B-E-C-K-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbɛkən/.
What does "beckon" mean?
As a verb, "beckon" means: To wave or nod to somebody with the intention to make the person come closer.
How do you pronounce "beckon"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "beckon" is /ˈbɛkən/. 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 "beckon"?
From Middle English bekenen, beknen, becnen, beknien, from Old English bēacnian, bēcnian, bīecnan (“to signal; beckon”), from Proto-West Germanic *bauknōn, *bauknijan (“to signal”), from *baukn (“signal; beacon”). Cognate with Old Saxon bōknian, O... 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 “beckon”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is B-E-C-K-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈbɛkən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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