A percussion idiophone similar to the wood block, but larger and with a more resonant sound.

Temple blocks are typically a set of 5 hollow wooden (or hard plastic or even stone) blocks of different sizes with a slit through the middle. When struck with a stick or mallet, the temple blocks sound pitches higher or lower, depending on their size. The smaller the temple block the higher the pitch. Although temple blocks are not considered pitched instruments, they can produce discernable pitches, and some temple blocks are actually tuned to the pentatonic scale. Most often, however, a composer will not indicate which temple block to strike, only which note should be higher in pitch.