A xylophone is a musical instrument made of a row of bars laid out flat like piano keys, longest (lowest) at one end, shortest (highest) at the other. You hit the bars with small sticks called mallets or beaters, which have a hard round head. The sound is short, bright and woody — it stops almost as soon as it starts, so it cannot hold a long note.

A xylophone is a musical instrument made of a row of bars laid out flat like piano keysxylophone是一種樂器，由一排像鋼琴鍵一樣平放的音條組成, longest (lowest) at one end, shortest (highest) at the other一端最長（音最低），另一端最短（音最高）。You hit the bars with small sticks called mallets or beaters你用叫做mallets或beaters的小棒子敲擊音條, which have a hard round head這些棒子有一個硬硬的圓頭。The sound is short, bright and woody聲音短促、明亮又帶點木頭的質感 — it stops almost as soon as it starts它幾乎一發出就停了, so it cannot hold a long note所以它沒辦法拉長一個音。

Strictly, the bars of a xylophone are wood; the metal-barred ones have their own names — glockenspiel (small, bright, high) and vibraphone (with a pedal, a soft ringing sound). But in everyday speech, and in many learner's dictionaries, people call any of these a xylophone, especially the small coloured toy ones children get. So do not be surprised to see the word used loosely; among musicians it is used strictly.

Strictly嚴格來說, the bars of a xylophone are woodxylophone的音條是木頭做的; the metal-barred ones have their own names金屬音條的另有專門名稱 — glockenspiel (small, bright, high) and vibraphone (with a pedal, a soft ringing sound)glockenspiel（小、明亮、音高）和vibraphone（有踏板、聲音柔和迴盪）。But in everyday speech不過在日常口語裡, and in many learner's dictionaries以及很多學習者字典裡, people call any of these a xylophone大家會把這幾種都叫做xylophone, especially the small coloured toy ones children get尤其是小孩玩的那種小小的彩色玩具款。So do not be surprised to see the word used loosely所以別驚訝這個字會被鬆散地使用, among musicians it is used strictly在音樂人之間它的用法是嚴格的。

Countable noun: a xylophone, two xylophones. You PLAY the xylophone (play the xylophone, like play the piano). The pronunciation is the thing to fix early: the x at the start says /z/, so it is ZY-luh-fone, not "ex-y-lophone".

Countable noun可數名詞: a xylophone, two xylophones一個xylophone、兩個xylophones。You PLAY the xylophone你是PLAY xylophone（play the xylophone, like play the piano跟play the piano一樣的用法）。The pronunciation is the thing to fix early發音是要早點搞定的地方: the x at the start says /z/開頭的x發/z/音, so it is ZY-luh-fone所以唸作ZY-luh-fone, not "ex-y-lophone"而不是「ex-y-lophone」。