<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0303</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2009-06-24</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001051771</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>BELK INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>NONE</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001222730</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>BELK H W MCKAY</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O BELK, INC.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>2801 WEST TYVOLA ROAD</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>CHARLOTTE</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NC</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>28217-4500</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>President/Chief Mdsing Officer</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class A Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2009-06-24</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>224422</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>11.90</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>633844</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class A Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>202026</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>Trustee GRAT #1</value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class A Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2009-06-24</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>33914</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>11.90</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>0</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>Spouse</value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class A Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>121260</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F5"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>Custodian</value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class A Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>137751</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F6"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>Trustee</value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class A Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>137793</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F7"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>Trustee</value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class A Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>2265090</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F8"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>Trustee</value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class A Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>1221842</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F9"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>Brothers Investment Company</value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class A Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>444212</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F10"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>Milburn Investment Company</value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class B Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>3948</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F11"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>Custodian</value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class B Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>7998</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F12"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>Trustee</value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class B Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>7998</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F13"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>Trustee</value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">224,422 shares of Class A common stock were sold by Reporting Person at $11.90 per share to the issuer.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">633,844 shares of Class A common stock are held in Reporting Person's name and/or H.W. McKay Belk, Trustee U/A dated 11/21/07, Reporting Person's grantor trust.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">202,026 shares of Class A common stock are held by H.W. McKay Belk Grantor Retained Annuity Trust dated June 16, 2006. Reporting Person is the Trustee.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">33,914 shares of Class A common stock were sold by Nina F. Belk, Reporting Person's spouse, at $11.90 per share to the issuer.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F5">121,260 shares of Class A common stock are held by Reporting Person as custodian of his minor children.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F6">137,751 shares of Class A common stock are held by Katherine Whitner Belk Irrevocable Trust dated April 9, 2008. Voting and investment power is shared by Katherine Whitner Belk, Nina Ferguson Belk and H.W. McKay Belk, the Trustees.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F7">137,793 shares of Class A common stock are held by Nina Cabell Belk Irrevocable Trust dated April 4, 2008. Voting and investment power is shared by Nina Cabell Belk, Nina Ferguson Belk and H.W. McKay Belk, the Trustees.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F8">2,265,090 shares of Class A common stock are held by Katherine McKay Belk Irrevocable Trust dated November 6, 2000.  Voting and investment power is shared by Katherine McKay Belk, Thomas M. Belk, Jr., H.W. McKay Belk, John R. Belk and Katherine Belk Morris.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F9">1,221,842 shares of Class A common stock are held by Brothers Investment Company, which corporation is equally owned by John M. Belk 1999 Grantor Trust and the heirs of Thomas M. Belk.  Voting and investment power is shared by Susan N. Jamison, Katherine Belk Morris and Wachovia Bank National Association, Co-Trustees of the John M. Belk 1999 Grantor Trust and Katherine McKay Belk, Thomas M. Belk, Jr., H.W. McKay Belk, John R. Belk and Katherine Belk Morris, heirs of Thomas M. Belk.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F10">444,212 shares of Class A common stock are held by Milburn Investment Company.  Voting and investment power is shared by Katherine McKay Belk, Thomas M. Belk, Jr., H.W. McKay Belk, John R. Belk and Katherine Belk Morris.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F11">3,948 shares of Class B common stock are held by Reporting Person as custodian of his minor children.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F12">7,998 shares of Class B common stock are held by Katherine Whitner Belk Irrevocable Trust dated April 9, 2008. Voting and investment power is shared by Katherine Whitner Belk, Nina Ferguson Belk and H.W. McKay Belk, the Trustees.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F13">7,998 shares of Class B common stock are held by Nina Cabell Belk Irrevocable Trust dated April 4, 2008. Voting and investment power is shared by Nina Cabell Belk, Nina Ferguson Belk and H.W. McKay Belk, the Trustees.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>H.W. McKay Belk by Betty F. Buchanan, POA</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2009-06-26</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
