“Bel” or “Bell” or “Belle”

Overview

bel / bell / belle are similar-sounding terms with different meanings (referred to as homophones). To better understand the differences, see below for definitions, pronunciation guides, and example sentences using each term. 👇

Definitions

bel: (noun) a logarithmic unit of sound intensity equal to 10 decibels. (noun) Babylonian god of the earth; one of the supreme triad including Anu and Ea; earlier identified with En-lil.

bell: (noun) a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck. (noun) the sound of a bell being struck. (noun) (nautical) each of the eight half-hour units of nautical time signaled by strokes of a ship's bell; eight bells signals 4:00, 8:00, or 12:00 o'clock, either a.m. or p.m.. (noun) the shape of a bell. (noun) a phonetician and father of Alexander Graham Bell (1819-1905). (noun) English painter; sister of Virginia Woolf; prominent member of the Bloomsbury Group (1879-1961). (noun) United States inventor (born in Scotland) of the telephone (1847-1922). (noun) the flared opening of a tubular device. (verb) attach a bell to.

belle: (noun) a young woman who is the most charming and beautiful of several rivals.

Pronunciation

bel: b·EH·l

bell: b·EH·l

belle: b·EH·l

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