Shore or sure?
shore is a noun meaning “Land adjoining a non-flowing body of water, such as an ocean, lake or pond”; sure is an adjective meaning “Physically secure and certain, non-failing, reliable”. Use shore as a noun and sure as an adjective. They sound the same (/ʃɔː/). In written English (wordfreq, 2021 data) sure is about 22 times as common as shore.
What is the difference between shore and sure?
| shore | sure | |
|---|---|---|
| Part of speech | noun, verb, adverb, adjective, interjection | adjective, adverb, interjection |
| Meaning | Land adjoining a non-flowing body of water, such as an ocean, lake or pond Land, usually near a port A prop or strut supporting some structure or weight above it | Physically secure and certain, non-failing, reliable Certain in one's knowledge or belief Without doubt, certainly |
| Example | lake shore; bay shore; gulf shore; island shore; mainland shore; river shore; estuary shore; pond shore; sandy shore; rocky shore | This investment is a sure thing |
| Forms | shores | surer, surest |
| Pronunciation | /ʃɔː/ /ʃɔɹ/ /ʃo(ː)ɹ/ | /ʃɔː/ /ʃʊə/ /ʃoː/ |
| In writing | 21 times per million words | 468 times per million words |
Sources: shore and sure in the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
Every current meaning of shore and sure
shore
- 1
Land adjoining a non-flowing body of water, such as an ocean, lake or pond
lake shore; bay shore; gulf shore; island shore; mainland shore; river shore; estuary shore; pond shore; sandy shore; rocky shore
- 2
A prop or strut supporting some structure or weight above it
The shores stayed upright during the earthquake
- 3
Not followed by up: to provide (something) with support
- 4
A sewer
- 5
Land, usually near a port
The seamen were serving on shore instead of on ships
- 6
Usually followed by up: to reinforce (something at risk of failure)
My family shored me up after I failed the GED
sure
- 1
Physically secure and certain, non-failing, reliable
This investment is a sure thing
- 2
Without doubt, certainly
Sure he's coming! Why wouldn't he?
- 3
Yes; of course
"Could you tell me where the washrooms are?" "Sure, they're in the corner over there."
- 4
Certain in one's knowledge or belief
Roy: I'm 95% sure it was him. Jen: You... you said you were 99% sure. Roy: I'm 97% sure it was him
- 5
Yes; I guess; you could say that; a weak or noncommittal positive response
"Do you like cats?" "Sure."
- 6
Certain to act or be a specified way
Be sure to lock the door when you leave
- 7
You're welcome; polite response to being thanked
"Thanks for helping me with that electrical fault." "Sure. Any time."
- 8
Certain to obtain something
Many people book early in order to be sure of the best seats
Source: the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); obsolete, archaic, dialect and rare senses left out.
Which is more common, shore or sure?
shore appears 21 times per million words; sure 468 times per million words.
shore 21 times per million wordssure 468 times per million words
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).