chime
/tʃaɪm/noun, verb
chime is spelled C-H-I-M-E: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears 1.4 times per million words in written English, the 24,170th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, chime means “A musical instrument producing a sound when struck, similar to a bell (e.g. a tubular metal bar) or actually a bell. Often used in the plural to…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of chime is chimes.
How many letters and syllables are in chime?
| Letters | 5: C-H-I-M-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.4 times per million words; the 24,170th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is chime?
Chime appears 1.4 times per million words in written English, the 24,170th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce chime?
- UK /tʃaɪm/
Chime has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-chime.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with chime
Also written: chine.
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What rhymes with chime?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as chime from its last stressed vowel (/aɪm/, British pronunciation):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of chime
- chimes plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- chiming participle, present
- chimed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does chime mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A musical instrument producing a sound when struck, similar to a bell (e.g. a tubular metal bar) or actually a bell. Often used in the plural to refer to the set: the chimes.
Hugo had a recording of someone playing the chimes against a background of surf noise that she found calming.
- 2
An individual ringing component of such a set.
Peter removed the C♯ chime from its mounting so that he could get at the dust that had accumulated underneath.
- 3
A small bell or other ringing or tone-making device as a component of some other device.
The professor had stuffed a wad of gum into the chime of his doorbell so that he wouldn't be bothered.
- 4
The sound of such an instrument or device.
The copier gave a chime to indicate that it had finished printing.
- 5
A small hammer or other device used to strike a bell.
Strike the bell with the brass chime hanging on the chain next to it.
- 6
Alternative form of chine (“edge of a cask; part of a ship; etc.”).
verb
- 1
To make the sound of a chime.
The microwave chimed to indicate that it was done cooking.
- 2
To cause to sound in harmony; to play a tune, as upon a set of bells; to move or strike in harmony.
- 3
To utter harmoniously; to recite rhythmically.
- 4
To agree; to correspond.
The other lab's results chimed with mine, so I knew we were on the right track with the research.
- 5
To make a rude correspondence of sounds; to jingle, as in rhyming.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Chime in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | carillon , carillonner |
| German | Glocke , läuten , übereinstimmen |
| Spanish | tañer , coincidir , campanilla , repique, campanada |
| Portuguese | combinar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does chime come from?
From Middle English chymbe, chyme, probably from Old Northern French chimbe (“cymbal”), a back-formation from chimble, cimble, from Latin cymbalum; perhaps reinforced by a misinterpretation of a Middle English *chymbele (from Old English ċimbala, ċimbal (“cymbal”)) as chymbe belle.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).