beißen

\ˈbaɪ.sən\

/\ˈbaɪ.sən\/ verb

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

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency French
6
letters

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

Key facts for beißen
PropertyValue
Headwordbeißen
LanguageFrench
Part of speechVerb
IPA\ˈbaɪ.sən\
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “beißen” sits in French frequency

beißen falls outside the top-100,000 ranked French words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

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

Rare enough to double-check

beißen is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed \ˈbaɪ.sən\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 8 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for beißen, a sign its spelling follows regular French conventions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is beißen, spelled B-E-I-S-S-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Mordre.
  2. 2
    Piquer.
  3. 3
    Goûter le vin.
  4. 4
    Nichts zu beißen und zu brechen haben : ne rien avoir à se mettre sous la dent.
  5. 5
    Er muss in den sauren Apfel beißen : il est contraint de le faire.
  6. 6
    Bei jm auf Granit beißen : rencontrer une forte résistance de la part de quelqu’un.
  7. 7
    Jurer.
  8. 8
    Taquiner, charrier.

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 "beißen"?
"beißen" is spelled B-E-I-SS-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is \ˈbaɪ.sən\.
What does "beißen" mean?
As a verb, "beißen" means: Mordre.
How do you pronounce "beißen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "beißen" is \ˈbaɪ.sən\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "beißen" come from?
"beißen" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “beißen”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is B-E-I-S-S-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ˈbaɪ.sən\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list