# bee

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈbiː/ · frequency rank #6,114

## Definitions
1. A flying insect, of the clade Anthophila within the hymenopteran superfamily Apoidea, known for its organised societies (though only a minority have them), for collecting pollen and (in some species) producing wax and honey.
2. Any stinging flying insect, especially a wasp.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *bʰey-der.
Proto-Germanic *bijǭ
Proto-West Germanic *bijā
Old English bēo
Middle English bee
English bee
From Middle English bee, from Old English bēo (“bee”), from Proto-West Germanic *bijā, from Proto-Germanic *bijǭ (“bee”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰey- (“bee”).
Cognates
Cognate with West Frisian bij (“bee”), Dutch bij, by (“bee”), German Biene (“bee”), Limburgish Bé, bie (“bee”), Luxembourgish Bei (“bee”), Vilamovian byn (“bee”), West Flemish bieë (“bee”), Yiddish בין (bin, “bee”), Danish, Swedish bi (“bee”), Faroese býfluga (“bee”), Icelandic bý, býfluga (“bee”), Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk bie (“bee”).

## Easily confused with
- **by** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bee-vs-by)
- **bi** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bee-vs-bi)
- **BS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bee-vs-bs)
- **bo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bee-vs-bo)
- **br** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bee-vs-br)
- **Bt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bee-vs-bt)
- **BP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bee-vs-bp)
- **bf** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bee-vs-bf)
- **BL** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bee-vs-bl)
- **BM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bee-vs-bm)
- **bn** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bee-vs-bn)
- **BG** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bee-vs-bg)
- **BJ** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bee-vs-bj)
- **BW** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bee-vs-bw)
- **BH** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bee-vs-bh)
- **BX** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bee-vs-bx)
- **but** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bee-vs-but)
- **big** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bee-vs-big)
- **bit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bee-vs-bit)
- **buy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bee-vs-buy)

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