# beth

/ˈbɛθ/ (US) · /bˈɛθ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/beth
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. person's name

noun · CEFR A1

a short form of the female names Elizabeth or Bethany.

For teachers: a diminutive or hypocoristic form of the female given names Elizabeth or Bethany.

- My friend Elizabeth usually goes by Beth at school.
- The author dedicated her first novel to Beth, her younger sister, who had supported her throughout the writing process.

### 2. alphabet letter

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

For teachers: the second letter of the Hebrew, Phoenician, and other Semitic alphabets.

- The teacher showed the class how to write the letter beth on the board.
- In the study of Semitic linguistics, the letter beth is often associated with the word for 'house' in ancient pictographic forms.

## Examples

- My friend Beth is coming over for dinner tonight.
- After years of being called Elizabeth by her teachers, she decided to go by Beth when she started university.
- While the name Elizabeth has many variations, Beth remains one of the most enduringly popular short forms in English-speaking countries due to its simplicity.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.