Words That Sound Identical to "shear"
Master the exact homophones of "shear" with identical phonetic audio, side-by-side definitions, and native video examples.
The homophone of “shear” is “sheer”.
Pronounced ⁄ʃɪər⁄. Sheer is perpendicular or pure; shear is clip wool with blades.
Spellings, Meanings & Real Context
Never mix up these spellings again. Learn each definition with an example sentence and spelling tip.
sheer
AdjectiveNothing other than; unmitigated; perpendicular and steep; fine/transparent.
“The climbers scaled a two-thousand-foot sheer granite rock cliff.”
shear
VerbCut the wool off a sheep or other animal; break off owing to structural strain.
“Ranchers gather each spring to shear sheep for their wool.”
How to Remember the Difference
A SHEER drop down the canyon cliff; SHEAR the thick wool coat off a sheep.
Compare sheer vs shear Side-by-Side
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More advanced Homophones
View All SetsFrequently Asked Questions About "Shear" Homophones
What is the homophone of "shear"?
The homophone of "shear" is "sheer". Both words are pronounced 100% identically in standard English as ⁄ʃɪər⁄, but have completely different spellings and meanings.
What is the difference between "shear" and "sheer"?
While pronounced identically (⁄ʃɪər⁄), their meanings are distinct: "sheer" (Adjective) means Nothing other than; unmitigated; perpendicular and steep; fine/transparent.; "shear" (Verb) means Cut the wool off a sheep or other animal; break off owing to structural strain.. A SHEER drop down the canyon cliff; SHEAR the thick wool coat off a sheep.
How do you pronounce "shear" in English?
"shear" is phonetically transcribed as ⁄ʃɪər⁄. Listen to native speaker audio recordings and watch authentic spoken video clips on SayItVid to master this pronunciation.
Are "shear" and sheer homophones or homographs?
They are homophones, NOT homographs. Homophones sound identical but have different spellings. Homographs have the same spelling but may sound different. Since "shear" and "sheer" are spelled differently but sound the same, they are true homophones.