bemoan
be·moan/bɪˈmoʊn/verb
bemoan is spelled B-E-M-O-A-N: 6 letters and 2 syllables (be·moan). It appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 67,454th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, bemoan means “To moan or complain about (something)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in bemoan?
| Letters | 6: B-E-M-O-A-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: be·moan |
| In writing | about once in every 5 million words; the 67,454th 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; 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 bemoan?
Bemoan appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 67,454th 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 bemoan?
- UK /bɪˈməʊn/
- US /bɪˈmoʊn/
Bemoan has 2 syllables, split be·moan in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-bemoan.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with bemoan?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as bemoan from its last stressed vowel (/oʊn/):
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 bemoan
- bemoans present, singular, he/she/it
- bemoaning participle, present
- bemoaned participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does bemoan mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To moan or complain about (something).
He bemoaned the drought but went on watering his lawn.
- 2
To be dismayed or worried about (someone), particularly because of their situation or what has happened to them.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Bemoan in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense to complain about:
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 bemoan come from?
From Middle English bemenen, bimenen, from Old English bemǣnan (“to bemoan, bewail, lament”); equivalent to be- (“about, concerning”) + moan. Alteration of vowel from Middle to Modern English due to analogy with moan.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).