rɪŋ ə bel
General
informal
beginner
- Literally:
- Making a bell produce sound
What does "ring a bell" mean?
- To sound familiar or trigger a memory
- To remind someone of something
Examples
- Does the name Sarah ring a bell?
- That story rings a bell—I think I've heard it before.
- The address doesn't ring a bell with me.
Origin
From Pavlov's experiments where bells triggered responses, or from church bells signaling recognizable events.
How to use it
Very common way to ask if something is familiar. Often used in questions.
Similar expressions
sound familiar
jog one's memory
remind
Opposites
draw a blank
not register
mean nothing
Related idioms
- actions speak louder than words
What people do is more important than what they say
- better safe than sorry
It's better to be careful and prevent problems than to take risks
- so far so good
Things have gone well up to now
- easier said than done
Something is more difficult to do than to talk about
- make a long story short
To summarize or get to the point
- to make matters worse
In addition to existing problems
Use it in a practice answer
Try "ring a bell" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.