Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

big ben

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.65 in modern English

Syllables: big ben
IPA

11

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

1

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

name

The hour bell in the Elizabeth Tower (formerly known as the Clock Tower), adjacent to the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London, United Kingdom.

name

The clock tower itself.

Example Sentences

"He pulled up his sleeve and there on his scrawny arm hung a Rolex the size of Big Ben."

Etymology

Disputed, possibly after Sir Benjamin Hall, who oversaw the installation of the Great Bell, or after English boxer Ben Caunt.

Synonyms

Great Clock

Questions

What does big ben mean?: The hour bell in the Elizabeth Tower (formerly known as the Clock Tower), adjacent to the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London, United Kingdom.
Where does big ben come from?: Disputed, possibly after Sir Benjamin Hall, who oversaw the installation of the Great Bell, or after English boxer Ben Caunt.

How to pronounce big ben

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