pair
/ˈpɛɹ/
verbnoun
Core
1.v.form a pair or pairs
“The two old friends paired off”
2.v.bring two objects, ideas, or people together
“This fact is coupled to the other one”
3.v.occur in pairs
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pair and pear are homophones: they are pronounced identically and spelled differently, which is why they are so often swapped. pair means “form a pair or pairs”. pear means “sweet juicy gritty-textured fruit available in many varieties”. pair is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈpɛɹ/
1.v.form a pair or pairs
“The two old friends paired off”
2.v.bring two objects, ideas, or people together
“This fact is coupled to the other one”
3.v.occur in pairs
/ˈpɛɹ/
| pair | pear | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈpɛɹ/ | /ˈpɛɹ/ |
| Said | per | per |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Letters | 4 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | verb, noun | noun |
| Senses | 9 | 2 |
| How common | Core | Familiar |
| Synonyms | pair off, partner off, couple | none recorded |
Full entry for pair · Full entry for pear · More comparisons
1.n.sweet juicy gritty-textured fruit available in many varieties
2.n.Old World tree having sweet gritty-textured juicy fruit; widely cultivated in many varieties