behind

/bɪˈhaɪnd/

//bɪˈhaɪnd// prep

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

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

The verdict

“behind” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #509 in English word frequency and used as a preposition.

#509
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
14
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - At or to the back or far side of.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

behind vs bend
67% similar
behind vs bind
67% similar
behind vs bein
67% similar

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

Key facts for behind
PropertyValue
Headwordbehind
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechPreposition
IPA/bɪˈhaɪnd/
Letters6
Frequency rank#509
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs14
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “behind” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for behind is 6 letters long, classified as a preposition, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /bɪˈhaɪnd/. Corpus data places it at rank #509 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for behind, with forms such as "bbehind", "behhind", and "behidn". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 14 confusable-pair relationships, "bend", "bind", "bein", 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 behinde, behinden, from Old English behindan (“on the back side of, behind”), from Proto-West Germanic *bihindan, *bihindini (“on the back side of, in the rear of, behind”), from Proto-West Germanic *bi- + *hindō (“the hind side, back pa… The correct English form is behind, spelled B-E-H-I-N-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    At or to the back or far side of.
  2. 2
    At or to the back or far side of.
  3. 3
    At or to the back or far side of.
  4. 4
    Less forward or advanced than; after.
  5. 5
    Less forward or advanced than; after.
  6. 6
    Less forward or advanced than; after.
  7. 7
    Responsible for, being the creator or controller of.
  8. 8
    Underlying, being the reason for or explanation of.
  9. 9
    In support of.
  10. 10
    Following, subsequent to; as a result or consequence of; because of.

Etymology

From Middle English behinde, behinden, from Old English behindan (“on the back side of, behind”), from Proto-West Germanic *bihindan, *bihindini (“on the back side of, in the rear of, behind”), from Proto-West Germanic *bi- + *hindō (“the hind side, back part”), equivalent to be- + hind. Compare Old Saxon bihindan (“behind”, adverb), Middle High German behinter (“behind; back”).

This word in other languages

atrás(Español)derrière(Français)hinter(Deutsch)atrás(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bbehind,behhind,behidn,behindd,behinnd,behnid,beihnd,bheind,ebhind

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of behind - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

bbehind1behhind1behidn2behindd1behinnd1behnid2beihnd2bheind2
Edit distance from "behind"

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 "behind"?
"behind" is spelled B-E-H-I-N-D. The IPA pronunciation is /bɪˈhaɪnd/.
What does "behind" mean?
As a preposition, "behind" means: At or to the back or far side of.
What words are commonly confused with "behind"?
"behind" is commonly confused with "bend", "bind", "bein". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "behind"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "behind" is /bɪˈhaɪnd/. 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 "behind"?
From Middle English behinde, behinden, from Old English behindan (“on the back side of, behind”), from Proto-West Germanic *bihindan, *bihindini (“on the back side of, in the rear of, behind”), from Proto-West Germanic *bi- + *hindō (“the hind sid... 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.

Using “behind”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is B-E-H-I-N-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /bɪˈhaɪnd/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “bend” - see the side-by-side comparison. behind vs bend
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list