# bail vs bell

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### bail
*noun · IPA /beɪl/ · frequency rank #6,988*
Security, usually a sum of money, exchanged for the release of an arrested person as a guarantee of that person's appearance for trial.

### bell
*noun · IPA /bɛl/ · frequency rank #2,515*
A percussive instrument made of metal or other hard material, typically but not always in the shape of an inverted cup with a flared rim, which resonates when struck.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bail-vs-bell