# wear

> English word · Verb · IPA /wɛə/ · frequency rank #1,289

## Definitions
1. To have on:
2. To have on:
3. To have on:
4. To erode:
5. To erode:
6. To erode:
7. To erode:
8. To endure:
9. To endure:
10. To endure:
11. To bring (a sailing vessel) onto the other tack by bringing the wind around the stern (as opposed to tacking when the wind is brought around the bow); to come round on another tack by turning away from the wind.

## Etymology
Inherited from Middle English weren, werien, from Old English werian (“to clothe, cover over; put on, wear, use; stock (land)”), from Proto-West Germanic *waʀjan, from Proto-Germanic *wazjaną (“to clothe”), from Proto-Indo-European *wes- (“to dress, put on (clothes)”).
Cognate to Sanskrit वस्ते (váste), Ancient Greek ἕννυμι (hénnumi, “put on”), Latin vestis (“garment”) (English vest), Albanian vesh (“dress up, wear”), Tocharian B wäs-, Old Armenian զգենում (zgenum), Welsh gwisgo, Hittite 𒉿𒀸- (waš-).
Originally a weak verb (i.e. with a past tense in -ed), it became irregular during the Middle English period by analogy with verbs like beren (whence bear) and teren (whence tear).

## Easily confused with
- **web** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wear-vs-web)
- **wet** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wear-vs-wet)
- **wee** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wear-vs-wee)
- **wed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wear-vs-wed)
- **Wes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wear-vs-wes)
- **wen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wear-vs-wen)
- **Wei** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wear-vs-wei)
- **wha** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wear-vs-wha)
- **wer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wear-vs-wer)
- **wor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wear-vs-wor)
- **WPA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wear-vs-wpa)
- **what** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wear-vs-what)
- **were** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wear-vs-were)
- **well** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wear-vs-well)
- **week** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wear-vs-week)
- **went** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wear-vs-went)
- **west** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wear-vs-west)
- **weed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wear-vs-weed)
- **wrap** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wear-vs-wrap)
- **Webb** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wear-vs-webb)

## Common misspellings (5)
`ewar`, `waer`, `wearr`, `wera`, `wwear`

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