Pear is a noun referring to a sweet, bell-shaped fruit produced by trees of the genus Pyrus. It has a crisp to tender flesh and a smooth skin, and is commonly eaten fresh or used in cooking. In everyday language, “pear” is often paired with “bread,” “tree,” or “pie” in common phrases and recipes.
"I ate a ripe pear for breakfast."
"She baked a pear tart with a touch of cinnamon."
"The pear tree in our yard produced a surprising number of fruit this year."
"Would you like a pear or an apple for dessert?"
The word pear comes from Old English pere, from Proto-Germanic *piru-, which traces further to the Proto-Indo-European root *per- meaning “fruit.” The term has cognates in many Germanic languages (e.g., Old High Germanペrao, Dutch peer). Over centuries, the spelling and pronunciation stabilized into the Modern English pear while maintaining the short /ɛə/ diphthongal vowel in many dialects. Historically, pears were cultivated in ancient times in Europe and Asia, with classical references by Greek and Roman authors. The fruit’s name is closely linked to its Latin equivalent pirum, which influenced Romance languages; in English, the form pear emerged by the medieval period. The word’s meaning broadened in English to denote the fruit-bearing tree and its produce, and later extended to other contexts (e.g., pear-shaped). First attested uses in early Old English writings appear around the 9th–10th centuries, with stable spelling by the 14th century.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Pear" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Pear"
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Pronounce it as /pɛər/ in US English and /peə/ in many UK contexts, typically a single syllable with a closing glide. Start with a mid-front open vowel /ɛ/ like “bet,” then glide toward /ɚ/ or schwa-like schwa depending on speaker, producing a smooth /ɛə/ sequence. Mouth position: a slightly open jaw, relaxed lips, and a gentle vowel glide from open to mid-back toward a soft 'r' off-glide if you’re linking in dialects that pronounce the final r. Audio examples: you can listen to Cambridge or Forvo entries for /pɛər/.
Common mistakes include: confusing /ɪ/ or /æ/ with /ɛər/ leading to a ‘peer’ or ‘pair’ sound; pronouncing a hard /r/ in non-rhotic UK varieties; or reducing the vowel to a flat /e/ without the glide. Correction tips: keep the mouth relaxed, start with /ɛ/ as in ‘bet’ and softly glide to a light /ə/ or /ɚ/ depending on accent; in non-rhotic contexts, avoid pronouncing the rhotic in isolation, but in linked speech you may hear a subtle vowel lengthening before the next word.
In US English, /pɛər/ with a noticeable border between /ɛ/ and a weak /r/; in many UK accents, /peə/ or /peəː/ with less pronounced rhoticity; in Australian English, /peə/ with a clearer vowel quality similar to /eɪ/ in some dialects, sometimes approaching /pɪə/ for older speakers. The main difference lies in rhoticity and vowel quality: American typically rhotics permit a trailing r; UK often non-rhotic; Australian often non-rhotic with a longer, drawn-out vowel depending on speaker. Focus on the glide and how you close the mouth after the vowel.
It’s tricky because of the vowel glide between a tense front vowel and a post-vowel schwa/retroflex sound; many learners substitute a pure /e/ or /æ/ lacking the glide, producing ‘pair’ or ‘pare’ without the correct softness. The subtlety is in the vowel height and the final smooth transition into a short, rhoticized or non-rhotic ending. Work on a single-syllable word with a gentle gliding movement from /ɛ/ to /ə/ or /ɚ/ depending on accent.
A useful nuance is the optional half-glide into a trailing vowel when linking to the next word, for example in 'pear pie' or 'pear tree.' In bubbly, fast speech, you may hear a minimal /ər/ or /ə/ short vowel; in careful speech, you sustain /ɛər/ with a clear, light /r/ (US) or let the /r/ fall away (UK/non-rhotic). Listen for the difference in connected speech contexts to master natural sound.
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