air and err are homophones: they are pronounced identically and spelled differently, which is why they are so often swapped. air means “a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of”. err means “to make a mistake or be incorrect”. air is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈɛɹ/
1.n.a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
“air pollution”
2.n.the region above the ground
“her hand stopped in mid air”
3.n.a distinctive but intangible quality surrounding a person or thing
“an air of mystery”
/ˈɛɹ/
| air | err | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛɹ/ | /ˈɛɹ/ |
| Said | er | er |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Letters | 3 | 3 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | verb |
| Senses | 15 | 2 |
| How common | Core | Familiar |
| Synonyms | none recorded | mistake, slip |
1.v.to make a mistake or be incorrect
2.v.wander from a direct course or at random
“The child strayed from the path and her parents lost sight of her”