How to Pronounce Bear

To pronounce "bear", say BEAR — one syllable, IPA /bɛə(ɹ)/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

bear

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Accent

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Speed

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1

Syllable

4

Letters

/bɛə(ɹ)/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “bear”

"bear" is a single-syllable word — say it in one clean beat. It rhymes with despair and glare, if that helps it stick.

Sounds exactly like: bare, baer, baehr, bahr — easy to mix up when writing.

What does bear mean?

noun

  1. A large omnivorous mammal, related to the dog and raccoon, having shaggy hair, a very small tail, and flat feet; a member of family Ursidae.
  2. A rough, unmannerly, uncouth person.

verb

  1. To endeavour to depress the price of, or prices in.

    “to bear a railroad stock”

adjective

  1. (investments) Characterized by declining prices in securities markets or by belief that the prices will fall.

    “The great bear market starting in 1929 scared a whole generation of investors.”

Antonyms

bulltwink

Hear “bear” in real sentences

Real example sentences from Tatoeba (CC-BY) — tap to hear each one, or see it used on YouGlish.

Words that rhyme with bear

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

despairglaredebonairbaredeclareaffairflarefairwelfareawareairsquare

Related words

stomachgestatebirthwearcontainholdsuffercarry

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "bear"?▾

"Bear" has one syllable.

What is the IPA transcription of "bear"?▾

The IPA transcription of "bear" is /bɛə(ɹ)/.

What does "bear" mean?▾

Bear: A large omnivorous mammal, related to the dog and raccoon, having shaggy hair, a very small tail, and flat feet; a member of family Ursidae.

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