bell and gong share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. bell means “a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck”. gong means “a percussion instrument consisting of a metal plate that is struck with a softheaded drumstick”. bell is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈbɛl/
1.n.a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
2.n.a push button at an outer door that gives a ringing or buzzing signal when pushed
3.n.the sound of a bell being struck
“saved by the bell”
/ˈɡɔŋ/
1.n.a percussion instrument consisting of a metal plate that is struck with a softheaded drumstick
2.n.a percussion instrument consisting of a set of tuned bells that are struck with a hammer; used as an orchestral instrument
3.v.sound a gong
| bell | gong | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɛl/ | /ˈɡɔŋ/ |
| Said | bel | gawng |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Letters | 4 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | noun, verb |
| Senses | 11 | 3 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | none recorded | tam-tam |
Full entry for bell · Full entry for gong · More comparisons