wildebeest

/ˈwɪldəbist/

//ˈwɪldəbist// noun

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

"wildebeest" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“wildebeest” is uncommon English (frequency #52,103 among 12,113 “W” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#52,103
frequency rank, English
12,113
“W” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The gnu.

Key facts for wildebeest
PropertyValue
Headwordwildebeest
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈwɪldəbist/
Letters10
Frequency rank#52,103
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “wildebeest” 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). wildebeest lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

wildebeest is uncommon English at frequency #52,103 among 12,113 “W” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈwɪldəbist/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "The gnu.".

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for wildebeest, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. 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: Borrowed in the early 19th century from early Afrikaans wildebeest, modern wildebees (literally “wild ox”), with influence from beast. The correct English form is wildebeest, spelled W-I-L-D-E-B-E-E-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    The gnu.

Etymology

Borrowed in the early 19th century from early Afrikaans wildebeest, modern wildebees (literally “wild ox”), with influence from beast.

Synonyms

gnu

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 "wildebeest"?
"wildebeest" is spelled W-I-L-D-E-B-E-E-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈwɪldəbist/.
What does "wildebeest" mean?
As a noun, "wildebeest" means: The gnu.
How do you pronounce "wildebeest"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "wildebeest" is /ˈwɪldəbist/. 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 "wildebeest"?
Borrowed in the early 19th century from early Afrikaans wildebeest, modern wildebees (literally “wild ox”), with influence from beast. 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 “wildebeest”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is W-I-L-D-E-B-E-E-S-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈwɪldəbist/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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