bewray
/bɪˈɹeɪ/
"bewray" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“bewray” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 6
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To accuse; malign; speak evil of.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | bewray |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /bɪˈɹeɪ/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “bewray” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for bewray is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /bɪˈɹeɪ/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Zero misspellings are on record for bewray in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English bewraien, bewreyen, biwreyen, from Old English *bewrēġan, from Proto-Germanic *biwrōgijaną (“to speak about; tell on; inform of”). Cognate with Old Frisian biwrōgja (“to disclose, reveal”), Dutch bewroegen (“to blame; accuse”), Middle Lo… The correct English form is bewray, spelled B-E-W-R-A-Y.
Definition
- 1To accuse; malign; speak evil of.
- 2To reveal, divulge, or make (something) known; disclose.
- 3To reveal, divulge, or make (something) known; disclose.
- 4To reveal, divulge, or make (something) known; disclose.
- 5To reveal, divulge, or make (something) known; disclose.
- 6To reveal, divulge, or make (something) known; disclose.
Etymology
From Middle English bewraien, bewreyen, biwreyen, from Old English *bewrēġan, from Proto-Germanic *biwrōgijaną (“to speak about; tell on; inform of”). Cognate with Old Frisian biwrōgja (“to disclose, reveal”), Dutch bewroegen (“to blame; accuse”), Middle Low German bewrȫgen (“to accuse; complain about; punish”), Old High German biruogen (“to disclose, reveal”), Modern German berügen (“to defraud”).
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you spell "bewray"?
What does "bewray" mean?
How do you pronounce "bewray"?
What is the origin of the word "bewray"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “bewray”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is B-E-W-R-A-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /bɪˈɹeɪ/ (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
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.