# behave

> English word · Verb · IPA /bɪˈheɪv/ · frequency rank #7,097

## Definitions
1. To conduct (oneself) well, or in a given way; to conform.
2. To act, conduct oneself in a specific manner; used with an adverbial of manner.
3. To conduct, manage, regulate (something).
4. To act in a polite or proper way.

## 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-
Proto-Indo-European *kap-der.
Proto-Germanic *habjaną
Proto-West Germanic *habbjan
Proto-West Germanic *bihabbjan
Old English behabban
Middle English behaven
English behave
From Middle English behaven, bihabben (“to restrain, behave”), from Old English behabban (“to surround, embrace, hold, contain, hold back, withhold, restrain”), from Proto-West Germanic *bihabbjan, equivalent to be- + have. Cognate with Middle Low German behebben, behāven (“to receive, acquire, reach, keep”), Low German behebben (“to act, behave”), German behaben (“to behave”).

## Easily confused with
- **brave** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/behave-vs-brave)
- **beware** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/behave-vs-beware)
- **belive** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/behave-vs-belive)
- **behaved** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/behave-vs-behaved)
- **became** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/became-vs-behave)
- **behalf** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/behalf-vs-behave)
- **beaver** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/beaver-vs-behave)
- **beehive** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/beehive-vs-behave)

## Common misspellings (8)
`bbehave`, `beahve`, `behaev`, `behavve`, `behhave`, `behvae`, `bheave`, `ebhave`

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