beggar

/ˈbɛɡɚ/

//ˈbɛɡɚ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“beggar” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #23,179. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#23,179
frequency rank, English
4,121
“B” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A person who begs.

Corpus desk

Index EN-beggar · beggar · English

beggar · rank #23,179 · 7 variants · 7 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #23,179
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 7 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,121
  • PHOTO-FINISH bismarck

Nearest frequency peer: bismarck (+2 rank slots)

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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “beggar”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “beggar” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

beggar vs bigger
67% similar
beggar vs Bengal
50% similar
beggar vs begged
67% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for beggar
PropertyValue
Headwordbeggar
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈbɛɡɚ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#23,179
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “beggar”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).beggarlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “bismarck” (#23,181), “Bama” (#23,176), “Bakers” (#23,175). Among 4,121 “B” headwords, “beggar” is #23,179. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around beggar (IPA /ˈbɛɡɚ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #23,179 among 4,121 “B” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for beggar, with forms such as "bbeggar", "begagr", and "begar". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 7 confusable-pair relationships, "bigger", "Bengal", "begged", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English beggere, beggare, beggar (“beggar”), from Middle English beggen (“to beg”), equivalent to beg + -ar. Alternative etymology derives Middle English beggere, beggare, beggar from Old French begart, originally a member of the Beghards, a lay… The correct English form is beggar, spelled B-E-G-G-A-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A person who begs.
  2. 2
    A person suffering from extreme poverty.
  3. 3
    A mean or wretched person; a scoundrel.
  4. 4
    A minced oath for bugger.
  5. 5
    the last placer in Tycoon

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how beggar appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. “[…] They talk of you as if you were Croesus—and I expect the beggars sponge on you unconscionably.” And Vickers launched forth into a tirade very different from his platform utterances. He spoke with extreme contempt of the dense stupidity exhibited on all occasions by the working classes.
  2. Odysseus has returned to his home disguised as a beggar.

Etymology

From Middle English beggere, beggare, beggar (“beggar”), from Middle English beggen (“to beg”), equivalent to beg + -ar. Alternative etymology derives Middle English beggere, beggare, beggar from Old French begart, originally a member of the Beghards, a lay brotherhood of mendicants in the Low Countries, from Middle Dutch beggaert (“mendicant”), with pejorative suffix (see -ard); the order is said to be named after the priest Lambert le Bègue of Liège (French for “Lambert the Stammerer”).

Synonyms

mendicantpanhandlerschnorrerspangertruantpalliardpaupervagabondalmsmanalmswomanbeggarcadgercairdclochardLazarusmumper

This word in other languages

mendigo(Español)gueux(Français)Bettler(Deutsch)mendigo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • bbeggar
  • begagr
  • begar
  • beggarr
  • beggra
  • bgegar
  • ebggar

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of beggar - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

bbeggar1begagr2begar1beggarr1beggra2bgegar2ebggar2
Edit distance from "beggar"

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 "beggar"?
"beggar" is spelled B-E-G-G-A-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbɛɡɚ/.
What does "beggar" mean?
As a noun, "beggar" means: A person who begs.
What words are commonly confused with "beggar"?
"beggar" is commonly confused with "bigger", "Bengal", "begged". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "beggar"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "beggar" is /ˈbɛɡɚ/. 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 "beggar"?
From Middle English beggere, beggare, beggar (“beggar”), from Middle English beggen (“to beg”), equivalent to beg + -ar. Alternative etymology derives Middle English beggere, beggare, beggar from Old French begart, originally a member of the Begha... 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "beggar", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Bakers#23,175bouncy#23,185anemia#23,169Alyssa#23,165

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

Buick7 variantsbusts7 variantsXanax7 variantstulip7 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list