Shear vs. Sheer How to Choose the Right Word

Shear and sheer are examples of homophones, words that sound alike but have different meanings. The first can be used as a noun or a verb, and the second can be used as a verb, adjective, or adverb. How to Use Shear As a verb, shear means to cut or to clip (as in shear the hedges). As a noun, the word refers to the act, process, or fact of cutting or clipping. The tool used to shear something is known as a pair of shears. In Britain, shear is sometimes used as a noun in reference to the process of shearing a sheep (as in an old sheep thats had many shearings). A less common meaning of shear is found in physics and materials science, where the word refers to the stress produced by certain forces that causes two layers in a substance to shift away from each other. In this context, scientists sometimes speak of shear stress and shearing forces. How to Use Sheer The verb sheer means to turn suddenly or deviate from a course (as in sheer away from oncoming traffic). As an adjective,  sheer means fine or transparent, pure or complete (as in a sheer silk dress). The adjective sheer can also mean very steep or almost straight up and down (as in a sheer drop). Sheer can also be used as an adverb, meaning completely or altogether. Examples Although sheer has several meanings, shear—whether its used as a noun or a verb—almost always refers to cutting, clipping, or trimming: He had to shear the bushes often to keep his lawn looking neat.The farmer trimmed the animals coat with shears. Sheer is often used as an adjective, typically in reference to something that is see-through or very steep: His chest hair was clearly visible through his sheer T-shirt.A barrier along the cliff kept tourists away from the sheer drop. Sheer can also be used as a synonym for utter or complete: It was sheer luck that I happened to be there at the right time.The child watched the fireworks with a look of sheer amazement. As a verb, sheer means to turn away from something: Ship captains use GPS technology to sheer away from obstacles.The plane sheered north to avoid the storm system in its path. How to Remember the Difference Like many homophones, sheer and shear are easy to mix up. The only difference between the two is the letter A. A almost resembles an open pair of scissors, which is a good way to remember that shear almost always refers to cutting. If youre not talking about cutting something (and youre not a scientist), you probably mean to use the word sheer instead. Shear vs. Shears Historically, the singular word shear was used to refer to a variety of tools for cutting. In The Canterbury Tales, for example, Chaucer describes the biblical Samson, who kept his hair long in accordance with the Nazarite vow: This Samson never liquor drank, nor wine. / Nor on his head came razor, nor a shear. In modern English, the word is usually used in the plural form shears, though the word shear is sometimes still used to refer to one blade of such a tool. Sources Downing, Angela.  English Grammar: a University Course. Routledge, 2015.Straus, Jane.  The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation: The Mysteries of Grammar and Punctuation Revealed. John Wiley Sons, 2006.