# ben

> English word · Noun · IPA /bɛn/ · frequency rank #2,063

## Definitions
1. A prayer; a petition.

## Etymology
From Middle English ben, bene, from Old English bēn (“prayer, request, favor, compulsory service”), from Proto-West Germanic *bōni, from Proto-Germanic *bōniz (“supplication”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- (“to say”). Related to ban. More at boon.

## Easily confused with
- **by** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ben-vs-by)
- **bi** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ben-vs-bi)
- **BS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ben-vs-bs)
- **bo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ben-vs-bo)
- **br** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ben-vs-br)
- **Bt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ben-vs-bt)
- **BP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ben-vs-bp)
- **bf** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ben-vs-bf)
- **BL** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ben-vs-bl)
- **BM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ben-vs-bm)
- **bn** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ben-vs-bn)
- **BG** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ben-vs-bg)
- **BJ** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ben-vs-bj)
- **BW** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ben-vs-bw)
- **BH** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ben-vs-bh)
- **BX** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ben-vs-bx)
- **but** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ben-vs-but)
- **big** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ben-vs-big)
- **bit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ben-vs-bit)
- **buy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ben-vs-buy)

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/ben