Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

bequeath

/bɪˈkwiːθ/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.47 in modern English

Syllables
be-queath
IPA
/bɪˈkwiːθ/
22
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To give or leave by will; to give by testament.

verb

To hand down; to transmit.

verb

To give; to offer; to commit.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English biquethen, from Old English becweþan (“to say, to speak, to address, exhort, admonish, blame, bequeath, leave by will”). Cognate with Old Frisian biquetha.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: *gʷet-, biquethen, becweþan

Regional Pronunciation

  • British English: /bɪˈkwiːθ/

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Frequently Paired Words

quethe quoth bequest

Synonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce bequeath?
The recorded pronunciation is /bɪˈkwiːθ/.
What does bequeath mean?
To give or leave by will; to give by testament.
Where does bequeath come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce bequeath

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “bequeath”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/bɪˈkwiːθ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “bequeath”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “bequeath” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.