bem

/ˈbẽĩ̯/

//ˈbẽĩ̯// adv

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

The verdict

“bem” sits in 20 confusable pairs (corpus #54) as an adverb. The look-alike neighbours are the real trap.

#54
frequency rank, Portuguese
840
“B” headwords
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - de maneira hábil, segura

Corpus desk

Index PT-bem · bem · Portuguese

bem · rank #54 · 0 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #54
  • LEN-MID 3 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 840
  • PHOTO-FINISH sobre

Nearest frequency peer: sobre (-1 rank slots)

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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “bem”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “bem” sits against the nearest ranked Portuguese headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

bem vs by
33% similar
bem vs BR
0% similar
bem vs bi
33% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for bem
PropertyValue
Headwordbem
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˈbẽĩ̯/
Letters3
Frequency rank#54
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “bem” sits in Portuguese frequency

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).bem lands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Easy to mix with look-alikes

The spelling risk for bem is neighbouring look-alikes ("by", "BR", …), not just typos; it is anadverb pronounced /ˈbẽĩ̯/. Frequency #54 among 840 “B” headwords. 4 recorded senses keep meaning in play.

No generated misspelling entries exist for bem in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable Portuguese rules. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "by", "BR", "bi", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

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 Portuguese form is bem, spelled B-E-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    de maneira hábil, segura
  2. 2
    com saúde
  3. 3
    precisamente
  4. 4
    com afeição, carinho

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Fulano joga futebol muito bem!
  2. Estou bem, não se preocupe.

Synonyms

benzão

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 Portuguese corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "bem"?
"bem" is spelled B-E-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbẽĩ̯/.
What does "bem" mean?
As an adverb, "bem" means: de maneira hábil, segura
What words are commonly confused with "bem"?
"bem" is commonly confused with "by", "BR", "bi". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "bem"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bem" is /ˈbẽĩ̯/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "bem" come from?
"bem" is a Portuguese 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.

Similar Portuguese words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "bem", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked Portuguese headwords with 3 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

até#55dia#51vai#49ela#48

What to do next

You've looked up "bem". Here's where to go from here.

  • "bem" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "by". View pair
  • Usage frequency rank #54 among Portuguese headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more Portuguese words in the "B" letter cohort. B–Z browse

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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