bequest

/bɪˈkwɛst/

//bɪˈkwɛst// noun

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

"bequest" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“bequest” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #35,195 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#35,195
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of bequeathing or leaving by will.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

bequest vs behest
71% similar

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

Key facts for bequest
PropertyValue
Headwordbequest
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/bɪˈkwɛst/
Letters7
Frequency rank#35,195
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “bequest” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for bequest is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /bɪˈkwɛst/. Corpus data places it at rank #35,195 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for bequest, with forms such as "bbequest", "beqeust", and "beqquest". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "behest", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English biqueste, bequeste (“will, testament, bequest”), from be + -quiste, queste (“saying, utterance, testament, will, legacy”), from Old English *cwist, *cwiss (“saying”) (compare Old English andcwiss, ġecwis, uncwisse, etc.), from Proto-Germ… The correct English form is bequest, spelled B-E-Q-U-E-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of bequeathing or leaving by will.
  2. 2
    The transfer of property upon the owner's death according to the will of the deceased.
  3. 3
    That which is left by will; a legacy.
  4. 4
    That which has been handed down or transmitted.
  5. 5
    A person's inheritance; an amount of property given by will.

Etymology

From Middle English biqueste, bequeste (“will, testament, bequest”), from be + -quiste, queste (“saying, utterance, testament, will, legacy”), from Old English *cwist, *cwiss (“saying”) (compare Old English andcwiss, ġecwis, uncwisse, etc.), from Proto-Germanic *kwissiz (“saying”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʷet- (“to say”). Related to Old English andcwiss (“answer, reply”), Old English uncwisse (“dumb, mute”), Middle English bequethen (“to bequeath”). Not related to quest, which is from Latin. More at quoth, bequeath.

Synonyms

bequeathallegacygiftdonation

This word in other languages

testamento(Español)testament(Français)Testament(Deutsch)testamento(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bbequest,beqeust,beqquest,bequesst,bequestt,bequets,bequset,beuqest,bqeuest,ebquest

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

bbequest1beqeust2beqquest1bequesst1bequestt1bequets2bequset2beuqest2
Edit distance from "bequest"

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 "bequest"?
"bequest" is spelled B-E-Q-U-E-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /bɪˈkwɛst/.
What does "bequest" mean?
As a noun, "bequest" means: The act of bequeathing or leaving by will.
What words are commonly confused with "bequest"?
"bequest" is commonly confused with "behest". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "bequest"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bequest" is /bɪˈkwɛst/. 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 "bequest"?
From Middle English biqueste, bequeste (“will, testament, bequest”), from be + -quiste, queste (“saying, utterance, testament, will, legacy”), from Old English *cwist, *cwiss (“saying”) (compare Old English andcwiss, ġecwis, uncwisse, etc.), from ... 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.

Using “bequest”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is B-E-Q-U-E-S-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /bɪˈkwɛst/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “behest” - see the side-by-side comparison. bequest vs behest
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list