Bellow or Below: What’s the Difference?
Bellow and below are both real words, but they mean very different things.
Bellow means to shout, roar, or make a deep loud sound.
Below means lower than something or under something.
Examples:
Correct: The angry man began to bellow.
Correct: The temperature dropped below freezing.
Correct: The bull let out a loud bellow.
Correct: The apartment is below ours.
The spelling difference is small, but the meaning is completely different. If you mean a loud roar or shout, use bellow. If you mean lower, under, or farther down, use below.
What Does Bellow Mean?
Bellow is usually a verb. It means to shout in a deep, loud voice or to make a loud roaring sound.
Examples:
The coach began to bellow instructions from the sideline.
The bull bellowed in the field.
He bellowed with laughter.
The actor had to bellow so the audience could hear him.
Animals, people, and even loud machines can bellow.
You might hear bellow used with:
- bulls
- cows
- bears
- angry people
- loud speakers
- roaring crowds
- strong voices
Bellow can also be a noun. As a noun, it means a loud, deep cry or roar.
Examples:
The bull gave a loud bellow.
A deep bellow came from the cave.
His angry bellow echoed through the hallway.
In every case, bellow is connected to sound.
What Does Below Mean?
Below means lower than something else. It can describe position, level, rank, amount, or placement.
Examples:
The basement is below the kitchen.
The answer is written below the question.
Temperatures fell below zero.
Her score was below average.
The village sits below the mountain.
Below can work as a preposition or an adverb.
As a preposition:
The shoes are below the shelf.
The river is below the bridge.
As an adverb:
Look below for more examples.
The chart is shown below.
In all of these sentences, below means lower, underneath, or farther down.
Bellow vs Below: The Main Difference
The main difference is meaning.
Bellow = to shout, roar, or make a loud deep sound
Below = lower than, under, or farther down
Examples:
Correct: The monster began to bellow.
Correct: The monster lived below the castle.
Correct: He bellowed across the room.
Correct: The room is below the stairs.
Correct: A loud bellow came from the barn.
Correct: See the instructions below.
If the sentence is about noise, use bellow. If the sentence is about position or level, use below.
How to Spell Bellow and Below
The spellings are similar, but they are not the same.
Bellow is spelled:
B-E-L-L-O-W
Below is spelled:
B-E-L-O-W
The key difference:
Bellow has double L.
Below has one L.
A simple way to remember it:
Bellow has extra L because it is extra loud.
The double L can remind you of a long, loud sound.
Below has one L because it simply points lower.
Bellow Examples
Use bellow when talking about a loud voice, shout, roar, or deep sound.
Examples:
The teacher did not want to bellow over the noisy class.
The cow bellowed from the field.
He bellowed my name from across the street.
The singer’s voice seemed to bellow through the theater.
A loud bellow came from the animal enclosure.
The word bellow often sounds strong, dramatic, or intense. It is usually louder than simply “say” or “call.”
Compare:
He called my name.
He bellowed my name.
The second sentence suggests a much louder, deeper voice.
Below Examples
Use below when something is lower, under, or farther down.
Examples:
The keys are on the hook below the mirror.
The temperature stayed below freezing all night.
Please read the note below.
The apartment below us is empty.
The sun dropped below the horizon.
Her grade was below the class average.
In these examples, below is not about sound. It is about place, level, or amount.
Bellowed vs Below
Bellowed is the past tense of bellow.
Examples:
The man bellowed angrily.
The bull bellowed in the field.
The captain bellowed an order.
Below does not become bellowed. It is not a verb in that way.
Incorrect:
The temperature bellowed zero.
Correct:
The temperature fell below zero.
Incorrect:
The note bellowed the paragraph.
Correct:
The note is below the paragraph.
If the word describes a past loud sound, use bellowed. If it describes a lower position, use below.
Common Phrases With Below
Below appears in many common phrases.
Examples:
below average
Meaning: lower than the usual level
Example: His score was below average.
below freezing
Meaning: colder than 32°F or 0°C
Example: The temperature was below freezing.
see below
Meaning: look farther down the page
Example: For more details, see below.
below the surface
Meaning: under the surface or not obvious
Example: There was more anger below the surface.
below deck
Meaning: under the main deck of a ship
Example: The sailors went below deck.
Common Mistakes
A common mistake is writing bellow when you mean below.
Incorrect: The answer is written bellow.
Correct: The answer is written below.
Incorrect: The temperature is bellow freezing.
Correct: The temperature is below freezing.
Incorrect: Look bellow the picture.
Correct: Look below the picture.
Another mistake is writing below when you mean bellow.
Incorrect: The bull began to below.
Correct: The bull began to bellow.
Incorrect: He belowed at the crowd.
Correct: He bellowed at the crowd.
If the word is about a loud sound, use bellow. If it is about lower position, use below.
Memory Trick
Here is an easy way to remember the difference:
Bellow has double L.
Think: extra L = extra loud.
A person can bellow loudly.
A bull can bellow loudly.
Below has one L.
Think: below = low.
The word below contains low, which helps you remember that it means lower down.
So:
Bellow = loud roar or shout
Below = low or under
Quick Test
Choose the correct word:
The answer is written ___ the question.
Answer: below
The bull began to ___ in the field.
Answer: bellow
The temperature fell ___ zero.
Answer: below
He ___ loudly across the room.
Answer: bellowed
Look at the chart ___.
Answer: below
Final Answer
Bellow and below are both correct words, but they are not interchangeable.
Use bellow when you mean to shout, roar, or make a deep loud sound.
Correct: The bull began to bellow.
Correct: He bellowed across the room.
Use below when you mean lower than, under, or farther down.
Correct: The room is below ours.
Correct: Read the examples below.
The easiest way to remember the difference is: bellow has an extra L for a loud sound, while below contains low, which means lower down.
