being
be·ing/ˈbi.ɪŋ/noun, conjunction, verb
being is spelled B-E-I-N-G: 5 letters and 2 syllables (be·ing). It appears 891 times per million words in written English, the 122nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, being means “A living creature” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of being is beings.
How many letters and syllables are in being?
| Letters | 5: B-E-I-N-G |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: be·ing |
| In writing | 891 times per million words; the 122nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; 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 being?
Being appears 891 times per million words in written English, the 122nd 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 being?
- UK /ˈbiː.ɪŋ/
- UK /ˈbiːŋ/
- US /ˈbi.ɪŋ/
Being has 2 syllables, split be·ing in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Back_ache-being.wav, En-us-being.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with being?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as being (/iɪŋ/).
Spelled with the same letters in another order: begin, binge.
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 being
- beings plural
- beïng rare
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does being mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A living creature.
- 2
The state or fact of existence, consciousness, or life, or something in such a state.
- 3
That which has actuality (materially or in concept).
- 4
One's basic nature, or the qualities thereof; essence or personality.
- 5
obsoleteAn abode; a cottage.
conjunction
- 1
Given that; since.
’Tis a hard matter therefore to confine them, being they are so various and many […].
verb
- 1
present participle and gerund of be
verb
- 1
rareAlternative spelling of being.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate being?
Wiktionary records one abbreviation of being: bin.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Being in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | être, créature , existence , étant donné que |
| German | Wesen, Geschöpf , Sein, Dasein |
| Portuguese | ser, criatura , existência |
| Spanish | ser, criatura, ente , existencia |
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 being come from?
Originated 1250–1300 from Middle English being; see be + -ing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).