doorbell
/ˈdɔɹ.bɛl/noun, verb
doorbell is spelled D-O-O-R-B-E-L-L: 8 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.1 times per million words in written English, the 27,150th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, doorbell means “A bell, buzzer, or chime device mounted on or adjacent to a door's exterior, meant to be rung by a visitor to announce one's presence” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of doorbell is doorbells.
How many letters and syllables are in doorbell?
| Letters | 8: D-O-O-R-B-E-L-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.1 times per million words; the 27,150th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
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 doorbell?
Doorbell appears 1.1 times per million words in written English, the 27,150th 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 doorbell?
- UK /ˈdɔː.bɛl/
- US /ˈdɔɹ.bɛl/
Doorbell has 2 syllables (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-doorbell.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with doorbell
Also written: door-bell (one word or two).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What rhymes with doorbell?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as doorbell (/ɔɹbɛl/).
Spelled with the same letters in another order: bordello.
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 doorbell
- doorbells plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- doorbelling participle, present
- doorbelled participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does doorbell mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A bell, buzzer, or chime device mounted on or adjacent to a door's exterior, meant to be rung by a visitor to announce one's presence.
verb
- 1
To ring many doorbells in an effort to contact people and thereby spread information or solicit.
- 2
To ring many doorbells of (target people or an area) in an effort to contact people and thereby spread information or solicit.
We doorbelled the whole district in an effort to get out the vote.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Doorbell in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | sonnette |
| German | Türklingel, Klingel, Türglocke, Hausglocke |
| Portuguese | campainha |
| Spanish | timbre |
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 doorbell come from?
From door + bell.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).