benign

/bɪˈnaɪn/

//bɪˈnaɪn// adj

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

"benign" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“benign” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #14,702. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#14,702
frequency rank, English
4,121
“B” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Kind; gentle; mild.

Corpus desk

Index EN-benign · benign · English

benign · rank #14,702 · 9 variants · 8 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #14,702
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 8 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,121
  • PHOTO-FINISH behaving

Nearest frequency peer: behaving (-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 “benign”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “benign” 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).

benign vs Benin
67% similar
benign vs Benson
50% similar
benign vs Benton
50% similar

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

Key facts for benign
PropertyValue
Headwordbenign
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/bɪˈnaɪn/
Letters6
Frequency rank#14,702
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “benign”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).benignlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “behaving” (#14,701), “Berkshire” (#14,703), “Beckham” (#14,700). Among 4,121 “B” headwords, “benign” is #14,702. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around benign (IPA /bɪˈnaɪn/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #14,702 among 4,121 “B” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for benign, with forms such as "bbenign", "beingn", and "bengin". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 8 confusable-pair relationships, "Benin", "Benson", "Benton", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English benigne, benygne, from Old French benigne, from Latin benignus (“kind, good”), from bene (“well”) + genus (“origin, kind”). Compare malign. The correct English form is benign, spelled B-E-N-I-G-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Kind; gentle; mild.
  2. 2
    mild and favorable
  3. 3
    Not harmful to the environment.
  4. 4
    Not posing any serious threat to health; not particularly aggressive or recurrent.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. But though we both entertained these ideas, we differed in their application. Resentment added also a sting to my censure; and I reprobated Raymond's conduct in severe terms. Adrian was more benign, more considerate.
  2. I people my world with benign spirits. Everything talks to me and I respond to it.

Etymology

From Middle English benigne, benygne, from Old French benigne, from Latin benignus (“kind, good”), from bene (“well”) + genus (“origin, kind”). Compare malign.

Antonyms

malign

This word in other languages

benigno(Español)bénin(Français)freundlich(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • bbenign
  • beingn
  • bengin
  • beniggn
  • benignn
  • bening
  • bennign
  • bneign
  • ebnign

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of benign - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

bbenign1beingn2bengin2beniggn1benignn1bening2bennign1bneign2
Edit distance from "benign"

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 "benign"?
"benign" is spelled B-E-N-I-G-N. The IPA pronunciation is /bɪˈnaɪn/.
What does "benign" mean?
As an adjective, "benign" means: Kind; gentle; mild.
What words are commonly confused with "benign"?
"benign" is commonly confused with "Benin", "Benson", "Benton". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "benign"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "benign" is /bɪˈnaɪn/. 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 "benign"?
From Middle English benigne, benygne, from Old French benigne, from Latin benignus (“kind, good”), from bene (“well”) + genus (“origin, kind”). Compare malign. 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 "benign", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

bleach#14,704brandy#14,707approx#14,693cheeky#14,717

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

cosmos9 variantszoning9 variantsuphold9 variantsdrilled9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list