bewray

/bɪˈɹeɪ/

//bɪˈɹeɪ// verb

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

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

The verdict

“bewray” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To accuse; malign; speak evil of.

Corpus desk

Index EN-bewray · bewray · English

bewray · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "B" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for bewray
PropertyValue
Headwordbewray
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/bɪˈɹeɪ/
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “bewray” in English

bewraysits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

bewray is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /bɪˈɹeɪ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.

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

  1. 1
    To accuse; malign; speak evil of.
  2. 2
    To reveal, divulge, or make (something) known; disclose.
  3. 3
    To reveal, divulge, or make (something) known; disclose.
  4. 4
    To reveal, divulge, or make (something) known; disclose.
  5. 5
    To reveal, divulge, or make (something) known; disclose.
  6. 6
    To reveal, divulge, or make (something) known; disclose.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how bewray appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. His countenance bewraies he is displeasd.
  2. A comparison with the Divine Comedy of all these versions combined bewrays many points of resemblance, and even of absolute coincidence, in the general architecture and ethical structure of hell and paradise; in the description of the tortures and rewards; […]

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"?
"bewray" is spelled B-E-W-R-A-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /bɪˈɹeɪ/.
What does "bewray" mean?
As a verb, "bewray" means: To accuse; malign; speak evil of.
How do you pronounce "bewray"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bewray" is /bɪˈɹeɪ/. 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 "bewray"?
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”),... 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list