Bethlehem

/ˈbɛθ.lə.hɛm/

//ˈbɛθ.lə.hɛm// name

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

"bethlehem" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Bethlehem” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #17,086. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#17,086
frequency rank, English
31,241
“B” headwords
14
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A city in the West Bank, Palestine, believed to be the birthplace of Jesus.

Key facts for Bethlehem
PropertyValue
HeadwordBethlehem
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈbɛθ.lə.hɛm/
Letters9
Frequency rank#17,086
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Bethlehem” 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). Bethlehem lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around Bethlehem (IPA /ˈbɛθ.lə.hɛm/), aproper noun. Corpus frequency is #17,086 among 31,241 “B” headwords. Wiktionary lists 25 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for Bethlehem, with forms such as "bbethlehem", "behtlehem", and "bethelhem". 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. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English Bethleem, from Old French Bethleem and Old English Bethleem, from Latin Bēthlehēmum, from Ancient Greek Βηθλεέμ (Bēthleém), from Hebrew בֵּית לֶחֶם (bēṯ lɛ́ḥɛm, literally “house of bread”). Doublet of bedlam and Belém. The correct English form is Bethlehem, spelled B-E-T-H-L-E-H-E-M.

Definition

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    A city in the West Bank, Palestine, believed to be the birthplace of Jesus.
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Etymology

Inherited from Middle English Bethleem, from Old French Bethleem and Old English Bethleem, from Latin Bēthlehēmum, from Ancient Greek Βηθλεέμ (Bēthleém), from Hebrew בֵּית לֶחֶם (bēṯ lɛ́ḥɛm, literally “house of bread”). Doublet of bedlam and Belém.

This word in other languages

Belén(Español)Bethléem(Français)Betlehem(Deutsch)Belém(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • bbethlehem
  • behtlehem
  • bethelhem
  • bethhlehem
  • bethleehm
  • bethlehemm
  • bethlehhem
  • bethlehme
  • bethlheem
  • bethllehem
  • betlhehem
  • betthlehem
  • btehlehem
  • ebthlehem

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

bbethlehem1behtlehem2bethelhem2bethhlehem1bethleehm2bethlehemm1bethlehhem1bethlehme2
Edit distance from "Bethlehem"

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 "Bethlehem"?
"Bethlehem" is spelled B-E-T-H-L-E-H-E-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbɛθ.lə.hɛm/.
What does "Bethlehem" mean?
As a proper noun, "Bethlehem" means: A city in the West Bank, Palestine, believed to be the birthplace of Jesus.
What are common misspellings of "Bethlehem"?
Common misspellings include "bbethlehem", "behtlehem", "bethelhem", "bethhlehem", "bethleehm". The correct spelling is "Bethlehem".
How do you pronounce "Bethlehem"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Bethlehem" is /ˈbɛθ.lə.hɛm/. 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 "Bethlehem"?
Inherited from Middle English Bethleem, from Old French Bethleem and Old English Bethleem, from Latin Bēthlehēmum, from Ancient Greek Βηθλεέμ (Bēthleém), from Hebrew בֵּית לֶחֶם (bēṯ lɛ́ḥɛm, literally “house of bread”). Doublet of bedlam and Belém. 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 “Bethlehem”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is B-E-T-H-L-E-H-E-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈbɛθ.lə.hɛm/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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