bench
/ˈbɛnt͡ʃ/noun, verb
bench is spelled B-E-N-C-H: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears 25 times per million words in written English, the 3,683rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, bench means “A long seat with or without a back, found for example in parks and schools” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of bench is benches.
How many letters and syllables are in bench?
| Letters | 5: B-E-N-C-H |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 |
| In writing | 25 times per million words; the 3,683rd 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 bench?
Bench appears 25 times per million words in written English, the 3,683rd 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 bench?
- US /ˈbɛnt͡ʃ/
- Australia /ˈbent͡ʃ/
- Australia [ˈbent͡ʃ] ~ [ˈbe̞nt͡ʃ]
Bench has one syllable.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-bench.ogg, EN-AU_ck1_bench.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with bench?
5 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as bench from its last stressed vowel (/ɛntʃ/):
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 bench
- benches plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- benching participle, present
- benched participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does bench mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A long seat with or without a back, found for example in parks and schools.
They sat on a park bench and tossed bread crumbs to the ducks and pigeons.
- 2
The people who decide on the verdict, collectively; the judiciary.
They are awaiting a decision on the motion from the bench.
- 3
The office or dignity of a judge.
She sat on the bench for 30 years before she retired.
- 4
A long seat for politicians in a parliamentary chamber.
the government front bench
- 5
The dignity of holding an official seat.
the bench of bishops
- 6
The people who hold a certain type of official seat, collectively; a group of officeholders.
- 7
The place where players (substitutes) and coaches sit when not playing.
He spent the first three games on the bench, watching.
- 8
The number of players on a team able to participate, often expressed in terms of length.
Injuries have shortened the bench.
- 9
The weight one is able to bench press, especially the maximum weight capable of being pressed.
He became frustrated when his bench increased by only 10 pounds despite a month of training.
verb
- 1
To remove a player from play.
They benched him for the rest of the game because they thought he was injured.
- 2
To remove someone from a position of responsibility temporarily.
- 3
slangTo push a person backward against a conspirator behind them who is on their hands and knees, causing them to fall over.
- 4
To furnish with benches.
- 5
To place on a bench or seat of honour.
- 6
colloquialTo lift by bench pressing
I heard he can bench 150 pounds.
- 7
Alternative spelling of bentsh.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Bench in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | banc , banc de musculation |
| German | Bank, Sitzbank , Hantelbank , Richterbank |
| Portuguese | banco |
| Spanish | banco, banca, escaño, poyo, poyete, pretil |
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 bench come from?
From Middle English bench, benk, bynk, from Old English benċ (“bench”), from Proto-West Germanic *banki, from Proto-Germanic *bankiz (“bench”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeg-.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).