How to pronounce sheer
Say it like SHEER. Sheer is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce sheer. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SHEER
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Sheer pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SHEERSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of sheer
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: SHEER.
What does sheer mean?
- complete and without restriction or qualification; sometimes used informally as intensifiers“absolute freedom”“an absolute dimwit”
- not mixed with extraneous elements“plain water”“sheer wine”
- very steep; having a prominent and almost vertical front“a bluff headland”“where the bold chalk cliffs of England rise”
- turn sharply; change direction abruptly“The car cut to the left at the intersection”“The motorbike veered to the right”
- cause to sheer“She sheered her car around the obstacle”
- straight up or down without a break
- directly“he fell sheer into the water”
Where does sheer come from?
Cognate with Danish skær, German schier (“sheer”), German Low German schier (“sheer, pure, unadulterated”; “completely, almost”), Dutch schier (“almost”), Gothic 𐍃𐌺𐌴𐌹𐍂𐍃 (skeirs, “clear, lucid”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with sheer
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of sheer.
Words that sound like sheer
Questions about saying sheer
How do you pronounce sheer?
Say SHEER. The American pronunciation is /ʃɪr/. In British English it is /ʃɪə/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in sheer?
Sheer is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SHEER.
Is sheer pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead. The British form is /ʃɪə/ (SHEER).
What words sound the same as sheer?
Sheer sounds the same as shear in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.