How to pronounce tear
Say it like TEER. Tear 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 tear. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- TEER
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Tip: From your eye, it rhymes with near. To rip, it rhymes with bear.
Tear pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- TEERSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of tear
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: TEER.
Other ways to say tear
Tear also has this pronunciation, usually with a different meaning or use:
- TAIR /tɛr/
What does tear mean?
- separate or cause to separate abruptly“The rope snapped”“tear the paper”
- to separate or be separated by force“planks were in danger of being torn from the crossbars”
- move quickly and violently“The car tore down the street”“He came charging into my office”
- a drop of the clear salty saline solution secreted by the lacrimal glands“his story brought tears to her eyes”
- an opening made forcibly as by pulling apart“there was a rip in his pants”“she had snags in her stockings”
- an occasion for excessive eating or drinking“they went on a bust that lasted three days”
Where does tear come from?
Cognate with Scots tere, teir, tair (“to rend, lacerate, wound, rip, tear out”), Dutch teren (“to eliminate, efface, live, survive by consumption”), German zehren (“to consume, misuse”), German zerren (“to tug, rip, tear”), Danish tære (“to
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with tear
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of tear.
Questions about saying tear
How do you pronounce tear?
Say TEER. The American pronunciation is /tɪr/. In British English it is /tɪə/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in tear?
Tear is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: TEER.
Is tear 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 /tɪə/ (TEER).