English pronunciation · Words Starting with B
Bear Pronunciation
Bear is pronounced BER, IPA /ˈbɛr/.
BER
US /ˈbɛr/ · UK /ˈbeə/
Syllables: BER (1 syllable)
noun and verb: A large heavy mammal, and as a verb to carry something or to put up with it.
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Bear in a Sentence
- A bear crossed the road ahead of us.
- These beams bear the weight of the whole roof.
- I cannot bear another meeting about parking.
Common Mispronunciations of Bear
Not BEER
The vowel is the one in air and care, made with the mouth fairly open. An ee glide gives the drink instead, and the two are confused constantly.
Not BEE-er
One beat holds the whole word, with the r closing the vowel directly. Splitting it in two produces a different word.
Tip: Bear and bare are identical in speech. The animal and the verb share one spelling, and bare, meaning uncovered, keeps the other.
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