Bleep Vs beep

[Intoarut]

Hello everyone,

I'd like to know if the words "bleep" and "beep" are synonyms.

Thanks!

 

[Copyright]

Beep is what a horn does.
Bleep is what we call the sound made in broadcasts to drown out a swear word, for example.

They are not synonymous.

 

[Intoarut]

According to Macmillan and Oxford, bleep is the sound emitted by electronic equipment. Isn't that a beep? (Or kind of...)

 

[Intoarut]

Dictionaries give practically the same definition, that's why I'm confused.

 

[JulianStuart]

Dictionaries give practically the same definition, that's why I'm confused.

Say them out loud : that is the meaning, and they sound similar They are attempts to use letters to reproduce sounds.

 

[Intoarut]

Thanks Julian!

 

[sdgraham]

Wel

According to Macmillan and Oxford, bleep is the sound emitted by electronic equipment. Isn't that a beep? (Or kind of...)

Not exactly. Electronic equipment can emit all kinds of sounds, including reproducing the human voice, which obviously is not a "bleep."