• Bear (a large mammal) – Noun

• Bear (to carry or endure) – Verb

Pronunciation

These words are homonyms, meaning they are spelled the same, sound the same, but have different meanings.

• Bear (Noun): Pronounced /bɛr/ (BEHR) — An animal.

• Bear (Verb): Pronounced /bɛr/ (BEHR) — To carry or endure.

Listen to the audio. They sound the same.

What makes them different is your intonation, expression, and context, or the other words in the sentence.

Instruction

Read each sentence aloud and practice identifying the meaning of "bear" in context.
Can you tell which “bear” is being mentioned as you read each sentence?

Example Sentences

1. The bear roamed through the forest looking for food.
   a. A large mammal
   b. To carry or endure

2. She had to bear the pain of losing a loved one.
   a. A large mammal
   b. To carry or endure

3. The zoo’s newest attraction is a polar bear exhibit.
   a. A large mammal
   b. To carry or endure

4. He couldn’t bear the weight of the heavy box.
   a. A large mammal
   b. To carry or endure

5. The bear hibernated during the winter months.
   a. A large mammal
   b. To carry or endure

6. They couldn’t bear the loud noise coming from the construction site.
   a. A large mammal
   b. To carry or endure

7. The grizzly bear is native to North America.
   a. A large mammal
   b. To carry or endure

8. She learned to bear the challenges of living in a new city.
   a. A large mammal
   b. To carry or endure

9. The bear stood on its hind legs to reach the honeycomb.
   a. A large mammal
   b. To carry or endure

10. He could no longer bear the stress of his demanding job.
    a. A large mammal
    b. To carry or endure

Answers

1. a

2. b

3. a

4. b

5. a

6. b

7. a

8. b

9. a

10. b

Intonation

Instructions: Intonation is controlling the rise and fall of your voice. When we do this with words and phrases, we send the listener a specific message.

Bear (a large mammal)

• The bear wandered through the forest looking for food. (Stress "bear" to highlight the animal.)

• The bear was seen near the riverbank. (Highlight "bear" to emphasize the creature's presence.)

• We saw a bear in the zoo. (Emphasize "bear" to focus on the species of animal.)

Bear (to carry or endure)

• He had to bear the heavy load across the mountain. (Stress "bear" to focus on carrying a burden.)

• She could no longer bear the weight of the situation. (Highlight "bear" to show the emotional endurance.)

• They had to bear the responsibility of running the company. (Emphasize "bear" to focus on enduring the obligation.)

Expression

The following explains how stressing or emphasizing the bolded words alters the tone or focus of the sentence and offers some helpful tips. Practice stressing these words when speaking.

Bear (a large mammal):

• Grizzly bear — Refers to a specific species of bear.
  Tip: Stress "grizzly" to emphasize the specific type of bear.
  Sentence: The grizzly bear roamed through the forest.

• Polar bear — Refers to another species of bear.
  Tip: Stress "polar" to specify the type of bear.
  Sentence: The polar bear swam across the Arctic ice.

• Black bear — A common species of bear.
  Tip: Highlight "black" to identify the bear’s type.
  Sentence: The black bear was looking for food in the woods.

Bear (to carry or endure):

• Bear the weight — Refers to carrying a physical load.
  Tip: Stress "weight" to emphasize the heaviness of what is being carried.
  Sentence: He had to bear the weight of the large box.

• Bear the pain — Refers to enduring emotional or physical pain.
  Tip: Stress "pain" to show the emotional or physical suffering.
  Sentence: She had to bear the pain of losing a loved one.

• Bear the responsibility — Refers to enduring responsibility.
  Tip: Stress "responsibility" to show the importance of what is being endured.
  Sentence: He had to bear the responsibility of caring for his family.

Things to Remember

The word "bear" is used in different contexts:

• Bear (a large mammal): Commonly paired with species names like grizzly bear, polar bear, or black bear.
  Example: The polar bear is adapted to cold climates.

• Bear (to carry or endure): Often used in phrases like bear the weight, bear the pain, bear the burden, or bear the responsibility.
  Example: She had to bear the emotional burden of the loss.