bestehen

\bəˈʃteːən\

/\bəˈʃteːən\/ verb

The verdict

“bestehen” is outside the top-ranked French vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Réussir, passer avec succès un examen, une épreuve.

Key facts for bestehen
PropertyValue
Headwordbestehen
LanguageFrench
Part of speechVerb
IPA\bəˈʃteːən\
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “bestehen” sits in French frequency

bestehen 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.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The French entry for bestehen is 8 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \bəˈʃteːən\. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for bestehen, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct French form is bestehen, spelled B-E-S-T-E-H-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Réussir, passer avec succès un examen, une épreuve.
  2. 2
    Persister, persévérer, insister (sur quelque chose).
  3. 3
    Consister en, se composer de, être composé de.
  4. 4
    Consister en, se composer de, être composé de.
  5. 5
    Exister, persister.

Synonyms

Antonyms

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 "bestehen"?
"bestehen" is spelled B-E-S-T-E-H-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is \bəˈʃteːən\.
What does "bestehen" mean?
As a verb, "bestehen" means: Réussir, passer avec succès un examen, une épreuve.
How do you pronounce "bestehen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bestehen" is \bəˈʃteːən\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "bestehen" come from?
"bestehen" is a French word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “bestehen”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is B-E-S-T-E-H-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \bəˈʃteːən\ (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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list