# Bengal

> English word · Proper noun · IPA /bɛŋˈɡɔːl/ · frequency rank #11,508

## Definitions
1. A geographic region in the northeast of South Asia today divided between Bangladesh and India (particularly the state of West Bengal).

## Etymology
Borrowed from Portuguese Bengala, from Classical Persian بَنْگَالَه (bangāla), from Middle Bengali বাঙ্গালা (baṅgala), said to be from the Vanga Kingdom, of uncertain ultimate origin. Vangalam has been attested in medieval South India. Doublet of Bangla.

## Easily confused with
- **Bernal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bengal-vs-bernal)
- **Bengali** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bengal-vs-bengali)
- **beal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/beal-vs-bengal)
- **began** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/began-vs-bengal)
- **banal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/banal-vs-bengal)
- **beggar** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/beggar-vs-bengal)

## Common misspellings (9)
`bbengal`, `begnal`, `benagl`, `bengall`, `benggal`, `bengla`, `benngal`, `bnegal`, `ebngal`

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