behest
/bɪˈhɛst/noun
behest is spelled B-E-H-E-S-T: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 29,270th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, behest means “A command, bidding; sometimes also, an authoritative request; now usually in the phrase at the behest of and at one's behest” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of behest is behests.
How many letters and syllables are in behest?
| Letters | 6: B-E-H-E-S-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 29,270th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is behest?
Behest appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 29,270th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce behest?
- UK /bɪˈhɛst/
- US /bɪˈhɛst/
- US /biˈhɛst/
Behest has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-behest.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with behest?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as behest from its last stressed vowel (/ɛst/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of behest
- behests plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- behesting participle, present
- behested participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does behest mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A command, bidding; sometimes also, an authoritative request; now usually in the phrase at the behest of and at one's behest.
- 2
obsoleteA vow; a promise.
verb
- 1
obsoleteTo promise; vow.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Behest in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense command, bidding:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | demande |
| German | Geheiß, Befehl |
| Portuguese | comando, ordem |
| Spanish | instancia (de), de orden de (at the behest of), mandato (de) |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does behest come from?
From Middle English biheste, from Old English behǣs (“vow, promise”), from Proto-West Germanic *bihaisi, from *bi- (“be-”) + *haisi (“command”), from Proto-Germanic *haisiz, from *haitaną (“to command”). Final -t by analogy with other similar words in -t. Related to Old English behātan (“to command, promise”), Middle Low German beheit, behēt (“a promise”). Compare also hest (“command”), hight.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).