# chime

> English word · Noun · IPA /tʃaɪm/ · frequency rank #24,111

## Definitions
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.
2. An individual ringing component of such a set.
3. A small bell or other ringing or tone-making device as a component of some other device.
4. The sound of such an instrument or device.
5. A small hammer or other device used to strike a bell.

## Etymology
From Middle English chime, chim, chimbe, chymbe, a shortening of chimbelle (misinterpreted as chymme-belle, chimbe-belle), from Old English ċimbala, ċimbal (“cymbal”), from Latin cymbalum.

## Easily confused with
- **CME** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/chime-vs-cme)
- **come** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/chime-vs-come)
- **chip** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/chime-vs-chip)
- **chin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/chime-vs-chin)
- **cite** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/chime-vs-cite)
- **chit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/chime-vs-chit)
- **chum** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/chime-vs-chum)
- **Chiu** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/chime-vs-chiu)
- **cine** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/chime-vs-cine)
- **crim** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/chime-vs-crim)
- **China** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/chime-vs-china)
- **crime** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/chime-vs-crime)
- **chose** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/chime-vs-chose)
- **climb** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/chime-vs-climb)
- **chips** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/chime-vs-chips)
- **Chloe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/chime-vs-chloe)
- **choke** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/chime-vs-choke)
- **Clive** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/chime-vs-clive)
- **ching** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/chime-vs-ching)
- **chute** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/chime-vs-chute)

## Common misspellings (7)
`cchime`, `chhime`, `chiem`, `chimme`, `chmie`, `cihme`, `hcime`

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