bestow

/bɪˈstəʊ/

//bɪˈstəʊ// verb

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

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

The verdict

“bestow” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #29,557 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#29,557
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
14
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To apply or make use of (someone or something); to employ, to use.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

bestow vs Beto
50% similar
bestow vs bests
67% similar
bestow vs Boston
50% similar

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

Key facts for bestow
PropertyValue
Headwordbestow
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/bɪˈstəʊ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#29,557
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs14
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “bestow” 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). bestow 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 bestow is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /bɪˈstəʊ/. Corpus data places it at rank #29,557 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for bestow, with forms such as "bbestow", "besotw", and "besstow". 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 14 confusable-pair relationships, "Beto", "bests", "Boston", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: PIE word *h₁epi The verb is derived from Middle English bestowen, bistouen, bistowen (“to give, bestow; to apply (something to something else); to arrange or have control over (something); to place (someone) in a position; to use (for some purpose); (refle… The correct English form is bestow, spelled B-E-S-T-O-W.

Definition

  1. 1
    To apply or make use of (someone or something); to employ, to use.
  2. 2
    To apply or make use of (someone or something); to employ, to use.
  3. 3
    To impart (something) gratuitously; to present (something) to someone or something, especially as a gift or an honour; to confer, to give, to accord; to render.
  4. 4
    To place or put (someone or something) somewhere or in a certain situation; to dispose of.
  5. 5
    To deposit (something) for safekeeping; to lay up (something) in store; to stow.
  6. 6
    To provide (someone or oneself) with accommodation; to find quarters for (someone or oneself); to lodge, to quarter.
  7. 7
    To behave or conduct (oneself); to acquit.
  8. 8
    To give (someone or oneself) in marriage.

Etymology

PIE word *h₁epi The verb is derived from Middle English bestowen, bistouen, bistowen (“to give, bestow; to apply (something to something else); to arrange or have control over (something); to place (someone) in a position; to use (for some purpose); (reflexive) to find (oneself) a place to live or shelter”) [and other forms], from bi- (prefix forming verbs, often with a completive, figurative, or intensive meaning) + stouen, stowen (“to pack (cargo) in a ship, stow; to place (someone) in a certain position; to provide quarters for, lodge; etc.”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (“to place; to stand (up)”)). The English word is analysable as be- (intensifying prefix forming verbs) + stow (“to put (something) away in a suitable place; etc.”). The noun is derived from the verb.

This word in other languages

utilizar(Español)consacrer(Français)verwenden(Deutsch)usar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bbestow,besotw,besstow,bestoww,besttow,bestwo,betsow,bsetow,ebstow

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of bestow - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

bbestow1besotw2besstow1bestoww1besttow1bestwo2betsow2bsetow2
Edit distance from "bestow"

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 "bestow"?
"bestow" is spelled B-E-S-T-O-W. The IPA pronunciation is /bɪˈstəʊ/.
What does "bestow" mean?
As a verb, "bestow" means: To apply or make use of (someone or something); to employ, to use.
What words are commonly confused with "bestow"?
"bestow" is commonly confused with "Beto", "bests", "Boston". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "bestow"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bestow" is /bɪˈstəʊ/. 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 "bestow"?
PIE word *h₁epi The verb is derived from Middle English bestowen, bistouen, bistowen (“to give, bestow; to apply (something to something else); to arrange or have control over (something); to place (someone) in a position; to use (for some purpos... 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 “bestow”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is B-E-S-T-O-W - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /bɪˈstəʊ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Beto” - see the side-by-side comparison. bestow vs Beto
  • 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