# shear vs steam

> 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.

### steam
*noun · IPA /stiːm/ · frequency rank #2,918*
The hot gaseous form of water, formed when water changes from the liquid phase to the gas phase (at or above its boiling point temperature).

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