previous / next

billow  –  bellow  –  below

{different first vowel sound: the letters ‘bi’ in ‘billow’ rhyme with the letters ‘bi’ in “bit”, and the letters ‘low’ rhyme with the word “low”; the letters ‘be’ in ‘bellow’ rhyme with the letters ‘be’ in the word “bed”, and the letters ‘low’ rhyme with the word “low”; and the letters ‘be’ in ‘below’ rhyme with the letters ‘bi’ in “bit”, and the letters ‘low’ rhyme with the word “low”, i.e. “billow” and “below” have the same sound, but ‘bellow’ has a different first vowel sound}

“Billow” as a noun means ‘huge wave; a great rolling mass of smoke’; and as a verb, it means ‘to swell out – to become large on all sides at a time’,

e.g.

Billows of black smoke rose from the burning buildings.

a pair of bellows

“Bellow” as a noun is (usually used in the plural – bellows) ‘an apparatus to blow air into a fire to make the fire burn quickly or with more heat’; and as a verb it means ‘to make a deep, loud sound, usually made by bulls’,

(a bull bellowing)

e.g.

A blacksmith uses a pair of bellows.

Can you hear the bulls bellowing in the fields?

“Below” can be used as an adverb, preposition or an adjective to mean ‘in a lower level, position; under the surface of something; lower than a standard quality or efficiency’,

(water is below danger mark)

e.g.

The water level is below danger mark.

He is a below average student; he must work harder.

<<< Back to List B

<<< Back to main page /  Next blanch ~ blench >>>