<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>
    <schemaVersion>X0201</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType><periodOfReport>2003-12-31</periodOfReport><notSubjectToSection16>1</notSubjectToSection16>
    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000732713</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>BELLSOUTH CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>BLS</issuerTradingSymbol></issuer><reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001189561</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>DE LA VEGA RAFAEL</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>1100 PEACHTREE STREET, NE, SUITE 1000</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>ATLANTA</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>GA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>30309</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>0</isDirector><isOfficer>1</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther><officerTitle>Pres.-Latin America Operations</officerTitle></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><nonDerivativeTable><nonDerivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-12-31</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>F</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>2668</value><footnoteId id="F1"/></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><value>28.195</value></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>D</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>57648</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeTransaction><nonDerivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>3769.8774</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>I</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value>ESIP</value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeHolding><nonDerivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>5210.605</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>I</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value>ESOP</value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeHolding></nonDerivativeTable><derivativeTable><derivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Phantom Deferral Shares</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><footnoteId id="F2"/></conversionOrExercisePrice><transactionDate><value>2003-12-31</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>I</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>1255.686</value><footnoteId id="F3"/></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><value>26.862</value></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>D</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><exerciseDate><footnoteId id="F3"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><footnoteId id="F3"/></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>1255.686</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>5022.743</value><footnoteId id="F4"/></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeTransaction></derivativeTable><footnotes><footnote id="F1">REPRESENTS SHARES WITHHELD FROM VESTED RESTRICTED STOCK FOR THE PAYMENT OF FEDERAL AND STATE TAXES DUE ON VESTING. </footnote><footnote id="F2">SHARES OF PHANTOM STOCK CONVERT TO COMMON STOCK ON A ONE-FOR-ONE BASIS.</footnote><footnote id="F3">DISTRIBUTION OF PHANTOM SHARES FROM DEFERRAL PLAN. </footnote><footnote id="F4">INCLUDES PHANTOM SHARES ACQUIRED UNDER THE BELLSOUTH COMPENSATION DEFERRAL PLAN AND AS A RESULT OF REINVESTMENT OF DIVIDENDS ACCRUED ON PHANTOM SHARES PREVIOUSLY ACQUIRED UNDER VARIOUS DEFERRAL PLANS IN TRANSACTIONS EXEMPT UNDER RULE 16b-3 AND DEFERRED INTO PHANTOM ACCOUNT. </footnote></footnotes><remarks/><ownerSignature><signatureName>Rafael de la Vega</signatureName><signatureDate>2004-01-05</signatureDate></ownerSignature></ownershipDocument>
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X0201
4
2003-12-31
1
0000732713
BELLSOUTH CORP
BLS
0001189561
DE LA VEGA RAFAEL
1100 PEACHTREE STREET, NE, SUITE 1000
ATLANTA
GA
30309
0
1
0
0
Pres.-Latin America Operations
Common Stock
2003-12-31
4
F
0
2668
28.195
D
57648
D
Common Stock
3769.8774
I
ESIP
Common Stock
5210.605
I
ESOP
Phantom Deferral Shares
2003-12-31
4
I
0
1255.686
26.862
D
Common Stock
1255.686
5022.743
D
REPRESENTS SHARES WITHHELD FROM VESTED RESTRICTED STOCK FOR THE PAYMENT OF FEDERAL AND STATE TAXES DUE ON VESTING.
SHARES OF PHANTOM STOCK CONVERT TO COMMON STOCK ON A ONE-FOR-ONE BASIS.
DISTRIBUTION OF PHANTOM SHARES FROM DEFERRAL PLAN.
INCLUDES PHANTOM SHARES ACQUIRED UNDER THE BELLSOUTH COMPENSATION DEFERRAL PLAN AND AS A RESULT OF REINVESTMENT OF DIVIDENDS ACCRUED ON PHANTOM SHARES PREVIOUSLY ACQUIRED UNDER VARIOUS DEFERRAL PLANS IN TRANSACTIONS EXEMPT UNDER RULE 16b-3 AND DEFERRED INTO PHANTOM ACCOUNT.
Rafael de la Vega
2004-01-05