Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

ring a bell

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.39 in modern English

Syllables: ring a -bell
IPA

12

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

2

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To seem at least vaguely familiar.

Informal

verb

To spark a previously forgotten memory.

Informal

verb

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see ring, a, bell.

Example Sentences

"His face rings a bell. I wonder if I know him from somewhere."
"Our boy tells me Fring took him there to visit one of the patients, someone Pinkman says you'll definitely remember — Tio Salamanca. Old guy in a wheelchair? Uh... doesn't talk, rings a bell. Huh — I mean, does that ring a bell? I mean, the guy actually has to ring a bell."

Usage

Informal

Inflected Forms

rings a bell (present, singular) ringing a bell (participle, present) rang a bell (past) rung a bell (participle, past) ring bells (alternative)

Questions

What does ring a bell mean?: To seem at least vaguely familiar.

How to pronounce ring a bell

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “ring a bell”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
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Repeat and practice — Say “ring a bell” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.