Bell Sound Effects

In the Avosound Online Sound Archive you will find a great selection of bell sounds and ringing bells and bell sound effects. The choices include bicycle bells, door bells, cow bell sound effects and sleigh bells, tubular bells, bell plates, and, of course, church bells.

Bell sounds are an everyday sound around the world -- and we often don't even notice them anymore because they are so commonplace (unless you live next door to a church, that is).

But bells are not only found in churches, they traditionally have also been serving other purposes (e.g. signalling and alarms). Maybe bells have been popular throughout the centuries because they are incredibly practical and yet so simple to use.

Bell Sounds - A History

According to archeological discoveries in China, bells date back roughly 3,000 BCE. These ancient bells were made from ceramics and pre-date the cast bells and the ones made of brass. It is said that even the Egyptians used to make metal bells and hang them from ropes in the towers. The sound of these bell plates could be heard many miles away, which made them ideal as alarm signals.

Bells Sounds - Made In China

The high quality of the metal bells hints at considerable metallurgical know-how in the 15th century BCE during the Chinese bronze age. Even back then, bells were cast with a very specific pitch in mind. In China they were used for ceremonial purposes, rituals and ceremonies of state. These bells also found use in temples and shrines outside of China, where they can still be found in great abundance.

Bells in the Temple

Bell sounds find frequent use in buddhist temples. Buddhist temples and monasteries often feature quite a number of standing or hanging brass and metal bells of considerable size that are struck with a wooden bar. Depending on the size of the location, you can find lots of smaller bells or sleigh bells ringing in the wind in stupas or at the top of temples.

Even today these bell sounds and noises can be heard in Myanmar's monasteries.

Bell Sounds - Metal Bells

In the western world, bell sound have traditionally had a strong symbolic connection to the church. To make their sound heard across many miles, the bells were hung in high towers. The mightier the building, the bigger the size of the bells. And the bigger the bell, the deeper its sound. These bells - several feet high and weighing tons - would then be hung in gigantic cathedral spires where they remain to this day, making their unique sound heard across the lands.

Bells were also mounted to public buildings to announce the time. Bells will either ring the time every quarter of an hour or every hour.

Bell Sounds - Church Bells

The sound of church bells differs depending on the size and architecture of the church. Monasteries, for example, tend to use smaller bells, while churches are a little more ostentatious about their oversized bells. Bells can sound individually, in groups, or all together.

In this context, bells have a ceremonial character as well. For festivities, all bells will usually ring at the same time. Sombre occasions might just require the sound of the deepest bell.

Bell Sounds in the Middle Ages

Apart from their religious connotations, bells were used in the middle ages to alert the people and the authorities. The striking of the bell(s) is used to announce the time to this day (much to the annoyance of many neighbours). Some of the more impressive bell towers even featured a glockenspiel––which made them known around the country. Alarm bells would ring whenever there was an attack or a fire. Those banished from the city or village could count themselves lucky if the only thing chasing them was the sound of the shame bell. Because the blood bells would announce an unkindly verdict from the worldly court in town.

Alarm Bells

As bells became easier to manufacture, cities were equipped with bells announcing alarms and storms. Before the constant cacophony of the industrial age, you could still the night porter's bell throughout the city. Bells announcing alarms and storms were equally prominent and their sound would carry from one end of the city to the other. The great benefit of bells was the amount of people you could reach in a short time and without much effort.

Bicycle Bells

To this day, bells play a significant role in our society: bells and sleigh bells can be found on ships; they were used on trains and streetcars before the invention of electrical or pressurised air horns; and, of course, they can be found on almost every bicycle.

	Filename	Description	info	Channels	Duration	ShortID	Category
1	Bell,Hand,Dull,Ring,Medium,Uncertain,Accel,x3,Some faint birds BG.wav	Bell, Hand: Bell, Hand, Dull, Ring, Medium, Uncertain, Accel, X3, Some Faint Birds BG	i	1.0	0:42	Bell	Bell Hand
2	ClockBuckingham.BBC.EC105Qa.wav	Bell, Clock: Outdoor Clock Striking, Quarter-hour - SS. Peter And Paul	i	2.0	0:25	Bell	Bell Clock
3	Bell,Boxing,Ring,1x.wav	Bell, Boxing: Bell Boxing Ring 1x	i	1.0	0:12	Bell	Bell Boxing
4	ClocksChiming.BBC.EC1004Bk.wav	Bell, Clock: Tompion And Banger Household Clock Striking Eleven O"clock.	i	2.0	0:34	Bell	Bell Clock
5	Bell,Metal,Rhythmic,Soft,Medium.wav	Bell: Bell Metal Rhythmic Soft Medium	i	1.0	0:16	Bell	Bell
6	ClocksChiming.BBC.EC36Gd.wav	Bell, Clock: Trinity College Clock Striking One O"clock.	i	2.0	0:16	Bell	Bell Clock
7	Tones-Bells-Doorbell-Int-_6.wav	Tones - Bells - Doorbell - Int - CU - Double Ring	i	2.0	0:02	Bell	Bell Door
8	CathedralsGermany.BBC.EC46B.wav	Bell, Church: Munster Cathedral Bells Ringing.	i	2.0	6:03	Bell	Bell Church
9	ClocksChiming.BBC.EC36Pe.wav	Bell, Clock: Wadham College Clock Striking Two O"clock.	i	2.0	0:10	Bell	Bell Clock
10	Tones-BicycleBell-4High-P_1.wav	Tones - Bicycle Bell - 4 High-Pitched Tones Rung In Quick Succession, 2 Quick Rings @ Tail	i	2.0	0:07	Bell	Bell Bicycle
11	ClockCaius.BBC.EC36Ra.wav	Bell, Clock: Caius College Clock Striking Quarter Past The Hour.	i	2.0	0:15	Bell	Bell Clock
12	CathedralBirming.BBC.ECD151.wav	Bell, Church: St. Philip"s Cathedral, Birmingham - Ringing.	i	2.0	2:57	Bell	Bell Church
13	Tones-ChurchBells-PragueChu.wav	Tones - Church Bells - Prague Church During Holiday Mass - Medium Distant - Constant Bells From A Variety Of Different Sources, Almost Psychedelic In Sheer Number Of Bells	i	2.0	1:57	Bell	Bell Church
14	ClocksChiming.BBC.EC36Wi.wav	Bell, Clock: Christchurch College Clock Striking Six O"clock.	i	2.0	0:42	Bell	Bell Clock
15	ClockHampton.BBC.EC105Sd.wav	Bell, Clock: Anne Boleyn"s Clock, Chimes And 7 O"clock	i	2.0	0:39	Bell	Bell Clock
16	ClocksChiming.BBC.EC36Ag.wav	Bell, Clock: Magdalen College Clock Striking Four O"clock.	i	2.0	0:37	Bell	Bell Clock
17	Tones-PhoneBell-CU-Sweetene.wav	Tones - Phone Bell - C U - Sweetener Bell For Phone Slam Down	i	1.0	0:04	Bell	Bell
18	ClocksChiming.BBC.EC36Fa.wav	Bell, Clock: Clock Of The University Church Of St Mary The Virgin, Oxford Striking Four O"clock.	i	2.0	0:37	Bell	Bell Clock
19	ClockBigBen.BBC.EC105Bd.wav	Bell, Clock: Big Ben Recorded Prior To Repair In 1956. 12 O"clock	i	2.0	1:23	Bell	Bell Clock
20	ClocksStriking.BBC.ECD104e.wav	Bell, Clock: Merton College, Oxford (some Voices And Birdsong) - Bell Strikes 12	i	2.0	1:19	Bell	Bell Clock
21	NorthMarston.BBC.EC105Pj.wav	Bell, Clock: Outdoor Clock Striking, 10 O"clock St. Mary"s Church	i	2.0	0:39	Bell	Bell Clock
22	ClocksChiming.BBC.EC48Ug.wav	Bell, Clock: Cuckoo Clock Striking Seven O"clock. (Cuckoo Only.)	i	2.0	0:07	Bell	Bell Clock
23	ShipsBells.BBC.ECD5.wav	Bell, Ship: Car Ferry, Watertight Door Open And Close, Bell Warns Of Closing. (Car Ferry ""St. Nicholas"", 17, 400 Tons, Built 1980.)	i	2.0	0:22	Bell	Bell Ship
24	ClockBigBen.BBC.EC105Dg.wav	Bell, Clock: Gound Level With Traffic In 1969. Three-quarters	i	2.0	0:38	Bell	Bell Clock
25	ChildrenPlaying.BBC.EC76Dd.wav	Crowd, Children: Crowd, Children: Junior School Playground, Bell Rings And Children Leave Playground. (8-9 Year-old Children.)	i	2.0	1:12	Bell	Bell School
26	Bell,Small,Ring,Double Hit,x5.wav	Bell: Bell, Small, Ring, Double Hit, X5	i	2.0	0:27	Bell	Bell
27	ClocksChiming.BBC.EC209Dc.wav	Bell, Clock: Grandfather Clock With St Michael"s Chimes, Striking Six O"clock.	i	2.0	0:46	Bell	Bell Clock
28	Bell,Bicycle,Jingle,Dist,4.wav	Bell, Bicycle: Bell Bicycle Jingle Dist 4	i	2.0	0:05	Bell	Bell Bicycle
29	Bell,Hand,Metal,Clear,Energy.wav	Bell, Hand: Bell Hand Metal Clear Energy	i	1.0	0:02	Bell	Bell Hand
30	ChurchesLondon.BBC.EC91Hb.wav	Bell, Church: Church Bells, Firing The Bells. (St. Clement Dane"s Church, The Strand, London.)	i	2.0	3:00	Bell	Bell Church
31	Bells,Sleigh,Jingle,One,Decay.wav	Bell: Bells Sleigh Jingle One Decay	i	1.0	0:03	Bell	Bell Jingle
32	ClocksChiming.BBC.EC36Qe.wav	Bell, Clock: Keble College Clock Striking Two O"clock.	i	2.0	0:47	Bell	Bell Clock
33	Cowbell,Hit,Door,Bounce.wav	Bell, Cowbell: Cowbell Hit Door Dull	i	1.0	0:01	Bell	Bell Cowbell
34	BellsCathedrals.BBC.ECD91b.wav	Bell, Cathedral: Canterbury Cathedral Bells, Exterior, Ringing Starts, Rounds, Grandsire Cinques, Rounds, Ringing Stops (recorded From Top Of "Bell Harry" Tower) - 1981 (2B5, Reprocessed )	i	2.0	6:33	Bell	Bell Cathedral
35	ChurchesLondon.BBC.EC2B9b.wav	Bell, Church: Church Bells: Incomplete Cambridge Surprise Maximus, St. Sepulchre"s Church, High Holborn, Known As "bells Of Old Bailey"	i	2.0	4:49	Bell	Bell Church
36	Sleigh Bells,Classic,Constant.wav	Bell: Sleigh Bells Classic Constant	i	2.0	1:23	Bell	Bell
37	EFX INT Bell A 01.wav	Bell: Bell, Interior, Large Metal Bell, Ring Bell, Heavy Ding And Long Decay, Close	i	2.0	0:14	Bell	Bell
38	CathedralsLondon.BBC.EC10_6.wav	Bell, Church: Great Tom Clock Striking 4 O"clock	i	2.0	0:49	Bell	Bell Church
39	Bell,Bicycle,Jingles,Random.wav	Bell, Bicycle: Bell Bicycle Jingles Random	i	2.0	0:12	Bell	Bell Bicycle
40	Tones-Bells-BrassBell-In_10.wav	Tones - Bells - Brass Bell - Int - CU - Small, Short Ring	i	2.0	0:03	Bell	Bell Brass
41	EFX INT Prayer Bowl 10.wav	Bell: Bell, Interior, Prayer Bowl Ring Tone	i	2.0	2:00	Bell	Bell
42	Bell,Bicycle,Ring,Loose,3,3.wav	Bell, Bicycle: Bell Bicycle Ring Loose 3 3	i	2.0	0:06	Bell	Bell Bicycle
43	ClocksChiming.BBC.EC1004Al.wav	Bell, Clock: Lincoln"s Inn Clock Striking Twelve O"clock.	i	2.0	0:36	Bell	Bell Clock
44	Tones-FightBell-CU-FirstTwi.wav	Tones - Fight Bell - C U - First Twice Then Singles	i	2.0	0:59	Bell	Bell
45	ClockChurchOvin.BBC.EC105Wi.wav	Bell, Clock: Church Clock Striking, 9 O"clock. (All Saints Church)	i	2.0	0:24	Bell	Bell Clock
46	ClockBigBen.BBC.EC105Ca.wav	Bell, Clock: Big Ben Recorded In 1969. Quater-hour	i	2.0	0:26	Bell	Bell Clock
47	ClocksChiming.BBC.EC36Bj.wav	Bell, Clock: Merton College Clock Striking Three O"clock.	i	2.0	0:51	Bell	Bell Clock
48	ClocksChiming.BBC.EC36Je.wav	Bell, Clock: Oriel College Clock Striking Two O"clock.	i	2.0	0:10	Bell	Bell Clock
49	ClocksChiming.BBC.EC48Ti.wav	Bell, Clock: Cuckoo Clock Striking Nine O"clock. (Cuckoo And Chimes.)	i	2.0	0:10	Bell	Bell Clock
50	BellsHandBells.BBC.EC25Ab.wav	Bell, Hand: Hand Bell Ringing. (Medium Note)	i	2.0	0:37	Bell	Bell Hand
51	ClocksStriking.BBC.ECD104b.wav	Bell, Clock: French Clock (late 19th Century) - Strikes 12	i	2.0	0:21	Bell	Bell Clock
52	LeicesterSquare.BBC.ECD104.wav	Swiss Centre, Leicester Square - Bell Strikes 6 Into Carrillion Of Traditional Tunes (some Voices In Background)	i	2.0	5:16	Bell	Bell
53	Bell,Small,Ring,Clatter,Loose,Bored,x3.wav	Bell: Bell, Small, Ring, Clatter, Loose, Bored, X3	i	2.0	0:20	Bell	Bell
54	ClocksChiming.BBC.EC209Df.wav	Bell, Clock: Grandfather Clock With St Michael"s Chimes, Striking Nine O"clock.	i	2.0	0:55	Bell	Bell Clock
55	Bell,Bicycle,Jingle,2.wav	Bell, Bicycle: Bell Bicycle Jingle 2	i	2.0	0:04	Bell	Bell Bicycle
56	Bell,Hand,Ceramic,Pure,Softly.wav	Bell, Hand: Bell Hand Ceramic Pure Softly	i	1.0	0:02	Bell	Bell Hand
57	BellsPembroke.BBC.EC91P.wav	Bell, Church: Church Bells Ringing. (St. Mary The Virgin"s Church, Pembroke, Pembrokeshire.)	i	2.0	3:03	Bell	Bell Church
58	Bells,Sleigh,Harness,Jingles.wav	Bell: Bells Sleigh Harness Jingles	i	1.0	0:13	Bell	Bell Jingle
59	ClocksChiming.BBC.EC36Qj.wav	Bell, Clock: Keble College Clock Striking Seven O"clock.	i	2.0	0:58	Bell	Bell Clock
60	Bell,School,Ring,Voices,Dist.wav	Bell, School: Bell School Ring Voices Dist	i	2.0	0:06	Bell	Bell School
61	BicyclesBells.BBC.EC25Db.wav	Bell, Bicycle: Bicycle Bell, Single, Double And Frantic Ringing.	i	2.0	0:23	Bell	Bell Bicycle
62	BellsPre-Reform.BBC.EC2B7a.wav	Bell, Church: Church Bells: 5 Bells, At Random, Pre-Reformation Style, From Interior, St. Mary And St. Andrew"s, Whittlesford, Cambs.	i	2.0	3:29	Bell	Bell Church
63	Ding,Bell,Rattle,Bend Up,Low.wav	Bell: Ding Bell Rattle Bend Up Low	i	2.0	0:01	Bell	Bell
64	EFX INT Ice Cream Bell 01.wav	Bell: Bell, Interior, Ice Cream Truck, Buzzing, Electric Metal Bell, Very Mechanic	i	2.0	0:08	Bell	Bell
65	CathedralsLondon.BBC.EC1_11.wav	Bell, Church: Great Tom Clock Striking 10 O"clock	i	2.0	1:08	Bell	Bell Church
66	Bell,Bicycle,Jingle,Slow.wav	Bell, Bicycle: Bell Bicycle Jingle Slow	i	2.0	0:03	Bell	Bell Bicycle
67	Tones-BellLikeTone-Int-CU_1.wav	Tones - Bell Like Tone - Int - C U - Hit To Large Full Glass Water Bottle W Piece Of Wood, Musical	i	2.0	0:03	Bell	Bell
68	EFX INT Broken Bell 04.wav	Bell: House, Interior, Broken Door Bell, Ding, Electric Buzz, Dead Dong	i	2.0	0:08	Bell	Bell
69	Bell,Bicycle,Ring,High,Slow2.wav	Bell, Bicycle: Bell Bicycle Ring High Slow2	i	1.0	0:08	Bell	Bell Bicycle
70	Bell,Church,Old,Iron,2 Meter,Hit,Hammer,x4.wav	Bell, Church: Bell, Church, Old, Iron, 2 Meter, Hit, Hammer, X4	i	1.0	0:10	Bell	Bell Church
71	ClockBuckingham.BBC.EC105Qh.wav	Bell, Clock: Outdoor Clock Striking, Chimes And 5 O"clock SS. Peter And Paul	i	2.0	0:52	Bell	Bell Clock
72	Bell,Boxing,Hits,Many,Fast,High.wav	Bell, Boxing: Bell Boxing Hits Many Fast High	i	1.0	0:07	Bell	Bell Boxing
73	ClockChurchLond.BBC.EC105Jb.wav	Bell, Clock: St. Clement Danes Church Clock, Striking Half-hour	i	2.0	0:22	Bell	Bell Clock
74	Bell,Large,Old,Hit,One,Chaang.wav	Bell: Bell Large Old Hit One Chaang	i	2.0	0:21	Bell	Bell
75	ClocksChiming.BBC.EC36Hc.wav	Bell, Clock: Trinity College Clock Striking Eleven O"clock.	i	2.0	0:36	Bell	Bell Clock
76	Tones-Bells-Doorbell-Int-_1.wav	Tones - Bells - Doorbell - Int - CU - Single Ring	i	2.0	0:04	Bell	Bell Door
77	CathedralsLincoln.BBC.EC37E.wav	Bell, Church: Lincoln Cathedral, General Atmosphere With Footsteps And Occasional Speech. (Echo)	i	2.0	6:39	Bell	Bell Church
78	ClocksChiming.BBC.EC36Pj.wav	Bell, Clock: Wadham College Clock Striking Seven O"clock.	i	2.0	0:15	Bell	Bell Clock
79	Tones-BicycleBell-2High-P_3.wav	Tones - Bicycle Bell - 2 High-Pitched Rings	i	2.0	0:06	Bell	Bell Bicycle
80	ClockCaius.BBC.EC36Sb.wav	Bell, Clock: Caius College Clock Striking Five O"clock.	i	2.0	0:33	Bell	Bell Clock
81	CathedralsLondon.BBC.EC91E.wav	Bell, Church: St. Paul"s Cathedral Bells Ringing.	i	2.0	7:04	Bell	Bell Church
82	Tones-ChurchBells-KrumlovCh.wav	Tones - Church Bells - Krumlov Church Bells - Medium Distant - Pedestrian Movement And Walla Throughout, 3 Bells, All Bells Seem To Ring From Different Distances	i	2.0	2:05	Bell	Bell Church
83	ClocksChiming.BBC.EC36Wh.wav	Bell, Clock: Christchurch College Clock Striking Five O"clock.	i	2.0	0:38	Bell	Bell Clock
84	ClockHampton.BBC.EC105Sh.wav	Bell, Clock: Anne Boleyn"s Clock, Chimes And 11 O"clock	i	2.0	0:50	Bell	Bell Clock
85	BicyclesBells.BBC.EC1001Cb.wav	Bell, Bicycle: Bicycle Bell Ringing.	i	2.0	0:16	Bell	Bell Bicycle
86	BellsGreenock.BBC.EC91K.wav	Bell, Church: Church Bells, Ten Bells Ringing. (St. George"s Church, Greenock, Inverclyde.)	i	2.0	2:54	Bell	Bell Church
87	Ding,Bell,Cackles,Bend Up.wav	Bell: Ding Bell Cackles Bend Up	i	2.0	0:01	Bell	Bell
88	Tones-SleighBells-RhythmicM.wav	Tones - Sleigh Bells - Rhythmic Movement	i	1.0	0:14	Bell	Bell Sleigh Bells
89	EFX INT Door Bell 01.wav	Bell: House, Interior, Door Bell, Quick Press, D, Dong	i	2.0	0:10	Bell	Bell
90	ChurchesBells.BBC.EC1003Ad.wav	Bell, Church: Bells Ringing At San Sabino, Rome.	i	2.0	0:42	Bell	Bell Church
91	Bells.BBC.EC1003Ac.wav	Bell, Church: Fourteen Cwt. Bell Ringing.	i	2.0	2:22	Bell	Bell Church
92	SchoolBellRing_S08FO.2261.wav	Foley, School, Bell, Ring	i	2.0	0:07	Bell	Bell School
93	EFX EXT Tram Bell 02.wav	Bell: Bell, Exterior, Tram Or Street Car Bell Three Single Dings	i	2.0	0:18	Bell	Bell
94	CathedralsLondon.BBC.EC2C9a.wav	Bell, Church: Large Crowd: Outside St. Paul"s Cathedral, Mid-distant Perspective Recording, Wedding Of H.R.H. Prince Of Wales.	i	2.0	6:33	Bell	Bell Church
95	Bell,Bicycle,Ring,Doppler,By5.wav	Bell, Bicycle: Bell Bicycle Ring Doppler By5	i	2.0	0:06	Bell	Bell Bicycle
96	Bell,Antique,1800s,Polar POV,Hit,x5,Some faint BG birds.wav	Bell, Antique: Bell, Antique, 1800s, Polar POV, Hit, X5, Some Faint BG Birds	i	2.0	0:22	Bell	Bell Antique
97	NorthMarston.BBC.EC105Pi.wav	Bell, Clock: Outdoor Clock Striking, 9 O"clock St. Mary"s Church	i	2.0	0:36	Bell	Bell Clock
98	Bell,Boxing,Electronic,Beep,2.wav	Bell, Boxing: Bell Boxing Electronic Beep 2	i	1.0	0:02	Bell	Bell Boxing
99	ClocksChiming.BBC.EC1004Dc.wav	Bell, Clock: St Magnus" Cathedral, Kirkwall Clock Chiming Half Past The Hour.	i	2.0	0:16	Bell	Bell Clock
100	Bell,Door,Ring,Toll,Decay.wav	Bell, Door: Bell Door Ring Toll Decay	i	2.0	0:02	Bell	Bell Door