Size 3-6 mm. Acc. tot De la Torre (1960): Very variable, going from a smoothish form with the duplex condition of the outer lip in a very reduced or obsolete condition, to a form presenting strong axial ribs and with the duplex condition of the outer lip very prominent (form bilabiata Pfr.). — Ribs 17-40. A SEM foto reveals that the space between the ribs bears utterly fine spiral threads; the protoconch has weak axial ribs. Colour white to light-amber (horn colour). Very common.

Shell small, variable in size, from 5,5 to 7,5 mm. in length, and 2.6-2,8 width. Costate to nearly smooth, rather shining and somewhat solid. Whorls 4 to 4,5 , and convex. Color straw-yellow to light amber with the aperture generally whitish. Spire lengthened and truncated. Suture rather deeply impressed. Aperture holostomatous, ovate and somewhat flaring, rounded below and angled above. Parietal wall margined by the thickened inner lip. Outer lip simple and noticeably thickened at its union with the body whorl above. Basal ridge absent or only slightly developed. Shell imperforate or at best with a very minute rimation. Columella not apparent. Sculpture consisting of numerous axial ribs: generally few specimens are completely costate. In moderately costate forms the ribs appear only on the upper portion of the whorls, leaving the peripheral and lower areas of the whorls smooth. Operculum paucispiral, corneous and generally with a thin calcareous plate on the outer surface. Young specimens have the first two whorls smooth with the remaining whorls moderately to rather fully costate.

Both Truncatella pulchella and T. bilabiata have approximately the same distribution in the Western Atlantic. Many times these two species will occur together at the same locality.
Truncatella pulchella is readily separated from T. bilabiata by being larger and having a simple lip. Considering the species as a whole there are probably far more specimens of pulchella than of bilabiata that lack strong costae. It is quite probable that certain of these smooth forms were erroneously considered to be T.subcylindrica Linne of Europe. In a reduction of the costae in T. pulchella they disappear over the peripheral area and the base of the whorl while in T. bilabiata the reduction takes place only in the peripheral area. This is, in addition, reflected in the weakened basal ridge in T. pulchella and the strong basal ridge in T. bilabiata.

North Carolina, Florida and the West Indies south to Barbados, Lesser Antilles.