ANSWER: Difference between tear, tier, and tare
What is the difference between tear, tier, and tare?
With examples from Harry Potter
I’ve heard it said before. “The English language can be so confusing.” I have to admit that there are times when I can totally agree with that statement. Take the word, tear, for instance. It has two different meanings, depending on its use, as well as two different pronunciations. Add into the mix the words tier and tare, which have the same pronunciations as tear (again, depending on its use), and it’s easy to get them all confused.
To get a better understanding of which words to use, let’s look at them based on pronunciation.
Tear - [teer]:
This word, as you all know, is defined as fluid that appears in or flows from the eye. It can also represent a shape that is rounded at one end and comes to a point at the other, such as a teardrop necklace.
Unshed tears glistened in Hermione’s eyes as she waited for Ron’s reply.
Neville stared at the stained glass window, mesmerized by the drops of rain that formed "teardrops" on the face depicted in the panes. Funny, how after all this time, he could relate to those tears.
Tier - [teer]:
A row of seats that is part of a larger section. This word could also be used to describe a layer, or level, of a larger object, such as a wedding cake, the food pyramid, etc.
Ron and Hermione stood in the second tier of the Quidditch stands, staring avidly into the skies as they searched for a sign of Harry.
The prophecy with his name on it was on the top tier of the shelf. He debated for a moment, but curiosity got the best of him and he reached up to take it.
Tear - [tair]:
To pull apart; to divide or disrupt; or to remove by force.
"Stop it Ron. You’re going to tear that shirt if you keep pulling at it," Molly said in exasperation.
"I expect you to pay attention in my classroom," Professor McGonagall said in a dry tone. "That is, of course, if you can tear yourself away from your conversation."
Tare - [tair]:
Tare, on the other hand is the word used when describing the weight of a crate, or the receptacle of goods of any kind, such as the plastic cups used by the deli department of a grocery store. It’s also used to determine the weight of a vehicle without passengers and cargo.
"We have to account for the tare of the vial before weighing out the potion ingredients," Hermione told them.
And just for fun, I found this little saying on forthewordconfused.blogspot.com:
Now that you know that, you can say--
"He couldn't reach the top tier of cartons to check the tare, but he made a tear in the cardboard as a mark, instead of shedding a tear over it."
I have to admit that for me, it wasn't as easy as they made it sound!
References:
Dictionary.com
With examples from Harry Potter
I’ve heard it said before. “The English language can be so confusing.” I have to admit that there are times when I can totally agree with that statement. Take the word, tear, for instance. It has two different meanings, depending on its use, as well as two different pronunciations. Add into the mix the words tier and tare, which have the same pronunciations as tear (again, depending on its use), and it’s easy to get them all confused.
To get a better understanding of which words to use, let’s look at them based on pronunciation.
Tear - [teer]:
This word, as you all know, is defined as fluid that appears in or flows from the eye. It can also represent a shape that is rounded at one end and comes to a point at the other, such as a teardrop necklace.
Unshed tears glistened in Hermione’s eyes as she waited for Ron’s reply.
Neville stared at the stained glass window, mesmerized by the drops of rain that formed "teardrops" on the face depicted in the panes. Funny, how after all this time, he could relate to those tears.
Tier - [teer]:
A row of seats that is part of a larger section. This word could also be used to describe a layer, or level, of a larger object, such as a wedding cake, the food pyramid, etc.
Ron and Hermione stood in the second tier of the Quidditch stands, staring avidly into the skies as they searched for a sign of Harry.
The prophecy with his name on it was on the top tier of the shelf. He debated for a moment, but curiosity got the best of him and he reached up to take it.
Tear - [tair]:
To pull apart; to divide or disrupt; or to remove by force.
"Stop it Ron. You’re going to tear that shirt if you keep pulling at it," Molly said in exasperation.
"I expect you to pay attention in my classroom," Professor McGonagall said in a dry tone. "That is, of course, if you can tear yourself away from your conversation."
Tare - [tair]:
Tare, on the other hand is the word used when describing the weight of a crate, or the receptacle of goods of any kind, such as the plastic cups used by the deli department of a grocery store. It’s also used to determine the weight of a vehicle without passengers and cargo.
"We have to account for the tare of the vial before weighing out the potion ingredients," Hermione told them.
And just for fun, I found this little saying on forthewordconfused.blogspot.com:
Now that you know that, you can say--
"He couldn't reach the top tier of cartons to check the tare, but he made a tear in the cardboard as a mark, instead of shedding a tear over it."
I have to admit that for me, it wasn't as easy as they made it sound!
References:
Dictionary.com