ware and wear are homophones: they are pronounced identically and spelled differently, which is why they are so often swapped. ware means “articles of the same kind or material; usually used in combination: `silverware', `software'”. wear means “be dressed in”. wear is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈwɛɹ/
1.n.articles of the same kind or material; usually used in combination: `silverware', `software'
2.n.commodities offered for sale
“good business depends on having good merchandise”
3.v.spend extravagantly
“waste not, want not”
/ˈwɛɹ/
| ware | wear | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈwɛɹ/ | /ˈwɛɹ/ |
| Said | wer | wer |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Letters | 4 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | verb, noun |
| Senses | 3 | 12 |
| How common | Familiar | Core |
| Synonyms | none recorded | have on |
Full entry for ware · Full entry for wear · More comparisons
1.v.be dressed in
“She was wearing yellow that day”
2.v.have on one's person
“He wore a red ribbon”
3.v.have in one's aspect; wear an expression of one's attitude or personality
“He always wears a smile”