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bevel

/ˈbɛv.əl/noun, verb, adjective

bevel is spelled B-E-V-E-L: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 46,473rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, bevel means “An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90-degree angle; a chamfer” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of bevel is bevels.

How many letters and syllables are in bevel?

Letters5: B-E-V-E-L
Syllables2 (from its American pronunciation)
In writingabout once in every 2 million words; the 46,473rd most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How common is bevel?

Bevel appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 46,473rd most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce bevel?

  • /ˈbɛv.əl/

Bevel has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-bevel.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Forms of bevel

  • bevels plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • beveling US, participle, present
  • bevelling UK, participle, present
  • beveled US, participle, past
  • bevelled UK, participle, past
  • more bevel comparative
  • most bevel superlative

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does bevel mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90-degree angle; a chamfer.

    to give a bevel to the edge of a table or a stone slab

  2. 2

    An instrument consisting of two rules or arms, jointed together at one end, and opening to any angle, for adjusting the surfaces of work to the same or a given inclination; a bevel square.

  3. 3

    A die used for cheating, having some sides slightly rounded instead of flat.

verb

  1. 1

    To give a canted edge to a surface; to chamfer.

adjective

  1. 1

    Having the slant of a bevel; slanting.

    a bevel angle

  2. 2

    obsoleteMorally distorted; not upright.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Bevel in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchbiseau (An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90…), aiguiser, biseauter, chanfreiner (give a canted edge to a surface)
GermanSchräge, Fase, Abschrägung, Abfasung, Schrägung, Schrägfläche (An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90…)
Portuguesebisel (An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90…), biselar (give a canted edge to a surface), biselado, biselada (Having the slant of a bevel; slanting)
Spanishbisel (An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90…), biselar (give a canted edge to a surface)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does bevel come from?

From Middle English *bevel, from Anglo-Norman *baivel (whence obsolete French beauveau) a diminutive of Old French baïf (“open-mouthed”), perhaps from baer (“to gape”), from Medieval Latin *batāre (“to gape, yawn, be open”), probably of imitative origin. If so, then related to Italian badare.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

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