# shear vs spear

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### shear
*verb · IPA /ʃɪə(ɹ)/ · frequency rank #17,239*
To remove the fleece from (a sheep, llama, etc.) by clipping.

### spear
*noun · IPA /spɪə̯(ɹ)/ · frequency rank #11,296*
A long stick with a sharp tip used as a weapon for throwing or thrusting, or anything used to make a thrusting motion.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shear-vs-spear