bend

/bɛnd/

//bɛnd// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"bend" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“bend” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #5,762. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#5,762
frequency rank, English
4,121
“B” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To cause (something) to change its shape into a curve, by physical force, chemical action, or any other means.

Corpus desk

Index EN-bend · bend · English

bend · rank #5,762 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #5,762
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,121
  • PHOTO-FINISH ba

Nearest frequency peer: ba (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “bend”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “bend” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

bend vs bn
50% similar
bend vs bet
50% similar
bend vs BID
0% similar

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

Key facts for bend
PropertyValue
Headwordbend
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/bɛnd/
Letters4
Frequency rank#5,762
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “bend”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).bendlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “ba” (#5,761), “boundary” (#5,763), “aw” (#5,760). Among 4,121 “B” headwords, “bend” is #5,762. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around bend (IPA /bɛnd/), averb. Corpus frequency is #5,762 among 4,121 “B” headwords. Wiktionary lists 15 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for bend, with forms such as "bbend", "bedn", and "bendd". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "bn", "bet", "BID", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰendʰ-der. Proto-Germanic *bindaną Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Proto-Germanic *-janą Proto-Germanic *bandijaną Proto-West Germanic *bandijan Old English bendan Middle English benden English ben… The correct English form is bend, spelled B-E-N-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    To cause (something) to change its shape into a curve, by physical force, chemical action, or any other means.
  2. 2
    To become curved.
  3. 3
    To cause to change direction.
  4. 4
    To change direction.
  5. 5
    To be inclined; to direct itself.
  6. 6
    To stoop.
  7. 7
    To bow in prayer, or in token of submission.
  8. 8
    To force to submit.
  9. 9
    To submit.
  10. 10
    To apply to a task or purpose.
  11. 11
    To apply oneself to a task or purpose.
  12. 12
    To adapt or interpret to for a purpose or beneficiary.
  13. 13
    To tie, as in securing a line to a cleat; to shackle a chain to an anchor; make fast.
  14. 14
    To smoothly change the pitch of a note.
  15. 15
    To swing the body when rowing.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how bend appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. If you bend the pipe too far, it will break.
  2. Don’t bend your knees.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰendʰ-der. Proto-Germanic *bindaną Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Proto-Germanic *-janą Proto-Germanic *bandijaną Proto-West Germanic *bandijan Old English bendan Middle English benden English bend From Middle English benden, from Old English bendan (“to bind or bend (a bow), fetter, restrain”), from Proto-West Germanic *bandijan, from Proto-Germanic *bandijaną (“to bend”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰendʰ- (“to bind, tie”). Cognate with Middle High German benden (“to fetter”), Danish bænde (“to bend”), Norwegian bende (“to bend”), Faroese benda (“to bend, inflect”), Icelandic benda (“to bend”). Related to bind, band, bond.

Synonyms

bendbowcourbcurbcurlcurvecrookflexincurvate

Antonyms

straightenrectifyunbenduncoiluncurlunfoldunroll

This word in other languages

doblar(Español)courber(Français)beugen(Deutsch)dobrar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • bbend
  • bedn
  • bendd
  • bennd
  • bned
  • ebnd

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

bbend1bedn2bendd1bennd1bned2ebnd2
Edit distance from "bend"

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 "bend"?
"bend" is spelled B-E-N-D. The IPA pronunciation is /bɛnd/.
What does "bend" mean?
As a verb, "bend" means: To cause (something) to change its shape into a curve, by physical force, chemical action, or any other means.
What words are commonly confused with "bend"?
"bend" is commonly confused with "bn", "bet", "BID". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "bend"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bend" is /bɛnd/. 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 "bend"?
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰendʰ-der. Proto-Germanic *bindaną Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Proto-Germanic *-janą Proto-Germanic *bandijaną Proto-West Germanic *bandijan Old English bendan Middle English benden E... 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "bend", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

cage#5,766Cuba#5,779disc#5,782plug#5,726

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

alike6 variantsTours6 variantstattoo6 variantseagle6 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list