Beirut

/beɪˈɹuːt/

//beɪˈɹuːt// name

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

The verdict

“Beirut” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #13,862 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#13,862
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The capital and largest city of Lebanon.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Beirut vs Bert
67% similar
Beirut vs Beit
67% similar
Beirut vs brut
50% similar

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

Key facts for Beirut
PropertyValue
HeadwordBeirut
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/beɪˈɹuːt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#13,862
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Beirut” 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). Beirut 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 Beirut is 6 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /beɪˈɹuːt/. Corpus data places it at rank #13,862 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for Beirut, with forms such as "bbeirut", "beirrut", and "beirtu". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "Bert", "Beit", "brut", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Ottoman Turkish بیروت (beyrût), from Arabic بَيْرُوت (bayrūt), ultimately from Phoenician 𐤁𐤓𐤕 (brt /⁠bērūt⁠/), from Proto-West Semitic *biʾrāt- (“wells”). Doublet of Berytus and Beeroth. The correct English form is Beirut, spelled B-E-I-R-U-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    The capital and largest city of Lebanon.
  2. 2
    The drinking game of beer pong.

Etymology

From Ottoman Turkish بیروت (beyrût), from Arabic بَيْرُوت (bayrūt), ultimately from Phoenician 𐤁𐤓𐤕 (brt /⁠bērūt⁠/), from Proto-West Semitic *biʾrāt- (“wells”). Doublet of Berytus and Beeroth.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bbeirut,beirrut,beirtu,beirutt,beiurt,beriut,bierut,ebirut

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Beirut - 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.

bbeirut1beirrut1beirtu2beirutt1beiurt2beriut2bierut2ebirut2
Edit distance from "Beirut"

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 "Beirut"?
"Beirut" is spelled B-E-I-R-U-T. The IPA pronunciation is /beɪˈɹuːt/.
What does "Beirut" mean?
As a proper noun, "Beirut" means: The capital and largest city of Lebanon.
What words are commonly confused with "Beirut"?
"Beirut" is commonly confused with "Bert", "Beit", "brut". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Beirut"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Beirut" is /beɪˈɹuːt/. 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 "Beirut"?
From Ottoman Turkish بیروت (beyrût), from Arabic بَيْرُوت (bayrūt), ultimately from Phoenician 𐤁𐤓𐤕 (brt /⁠bērūt⁠/), from Proto-West Semitic *biʾrāt- (“wells”). Doublet of Berytus and Beeroth. 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 “Beirut”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is B-E-I-R-U-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /beɪˈɹuːt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Bert” - see the side-by-side comparison. Beirut vs Bert
  • 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