# before

> English word · Preposition · IPA /bɪˈfɔː/ · frequency rank #123

## Definitions
1. Earlier than (in time).
2. In front of in space.
3. In the presence of.
4. Under consideration, judgment, authority of (someone).
5. In store for, in the future of (someone).
6. In front of, according to a formal system of ordering items.
7. At a higher or greater position than, in a ranking.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₁ep-der.
Proto-Indo-European *h₁epsder.
Proto-Indo-European *h₁epider.
Proto-Indo-European *h₁pi
Proto-Germanic *bider.
Proto-Germanic *bi-
Proto-West Germanic *bi-
Old English be-
Old English foran
Old English beforan
Middle English bifore
English before
Inherited from Middle English before /bifore, from Old English beforan, from be- + foran (“before”), from fore, from Proto-Germanic *furai, from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“front”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian befoar (“before”), German Low German bevör (“before”), German bevor (“before”).

## Easily confused with
- **bore** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/before-vs-bore)
- **beware** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/before-vs-beware)
- **Buford** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/before-vs-buford)
- **become** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/become-vs-before)
- **Bedford** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bedford-vs-before)

## Common misspellings (8)
`bbefore`, `beffore`, `befoer`, `beforre`, `befroe`, `beofre`, `bfeore`, `ebfore`

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