Edit This Grammar Lesson: Sheer vs. Shear
- Steve Gamel
- 3 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Welcome to another Edit This® grammar lesson. Today's topic is: Sheer vs. Shear.
Do you know the difference between them?
At first glance, this seems like an easy one. In fact, I don't blame you for wondering why I would spend time on two words that clearly mean different things. However, these are examples of homophones—words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings. And they confuse more people than you might think.
Let's clear up any lingering confusion, shall we?
Sheer describes something that is very thin, steep, or absolute/incomplete.
The sheer size of the mountain is scary.
The fact that we met is sheer luck.
There was a sheer drop into the canyon.
Shear commonly refers to cutting or breaking under pressure.
Jane can shear sheep fast!
The bolts might shear off under the pressure.
The bridge failed due to high wind shear.
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STEVE GAMEL is the President & Owner of Edit This®, a writing and editing services company in Denton, TX. He is also the author of Write Like You Mean It: Mastering Your Passion For The Written Word. Steve handles anything involving the written word. Give him a call today to help give your business a clear voice.
