Tear vs Tear

• Tear (a drop of liquid from the eye) – Noun

• Tear (to rip or split something) – Verb

Pronunciation

These words are heteronyms, meaning they are spelled the same but pronounced differently and have different meanings.

• Tear (Noun): Pronounced /teər/ (TEHR) — A drop of liquid from the eye.

• Tear (Verb): Pronounced /tɛər/ (TARE) — To rip or split.

Listen to the audio. Notice how the pronunciation changes based on the meaning.

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 "tear" in context.
Can you tell which “tear” is being mentioned as you read each sentence?

Example Sentences

1. A tear rolled down her cheek.
   a. A drop of liquid from the eye
   b. To rip or split something

2. He will tear the paper in half.
   a. A drop of liquid from the eye
   b. To rip or split something

3. She wiped a tear from her eye after hearing the good news.
   a. A drop of liquid from the eye
   b. To rip or split something

4. Be careful not to tear the fabric while cutting it.
   a. A drop of liquid from the eye
   b. To rip or split something

5. His story brought a tear to everyone’s eye.
   a. A drop of liquid from the eye
   b. To rip or split something

6. The kids tried to tear open the gift wrap as quickly as possible.
   a. A drop of liquid from the eye
   b. To rip or split something

7. She fought back a tear while saying goodbye.
   a. A drop of liquid from the eye
   b. To rip or split something

8. The wind caused the old flag to tear along the edges.
   a. A drop of liquid from the eye
   b. To rip or split something

9. He couldn’t hold back a tear of happiness.
   a. A drop of liquid from the eye
   b. To rip or split something

10. The sharp rock caused the paper to tear easily.
    a. A drop of liquid from the eye
    b. To rip or split something

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.

Tear (a drop of liquid from the eye)

1. A single tear rolled down her cheek. (Stress tear to emphasize emotion.)

2. He fought back a tear during the emotional speech. (Emphasize tear to highlight the feeling.)

3. The heartfelt story brought a tear to everyone’s eye. (Highlight tear to show the impact of the story.)

Tear (to rip or split something)

1. Be careful not to tear the delicate paper. (Stress tear to show the action.)

2. The strong wind caused the flag to tear at the edges. (Emphasize tear to focus on the damage.)

3. The kids excitedly tore open the gift wrap. (Highlight tear to capture the enthusiasm.)

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. Create your own sentences with the following words and phrases.

Tear (a drop of liquid from the eye):

1. Single tear: Emphasizes the solitary nature of the emotion.

   • Tip: Highlight single to stress its uniqueness.

   • Sentence: A single tear rolled down her face.

2. Tear of joy: Indicates happiness expressed through tears.

   • Tip: Stress joy to focus on the positive emotion.

   • Sentence: He couldn’t hold back a tear of joy at the reunion.

3. Tear of sadness: Highlights sorrow or grief.

   • Tip: Emphasize sadness to reflect the emotional state.

   • Sentence: She wiped away a tear of sadness as she spoke.

Tear (to rip or split something):

1. Tear the paper: Refers to the act of ripping.

   • Tip: Stress tear to focus on the action.

   • Sentence: Please don’t tear the paper—it’s fragile.

2. Tear along the edges: Describes the ripping process.

   • Tip: Highlight edges to show where the tear occurred.

   • Sentence: The fabric began to tear along the edges after years of use.

3. Easily tear: Indicates how simple the action is.

   • Tip: Emphasize easily to stress the lack of effort.

   • Sentence: Thin material like this can easily tear if mishandled.

Things to Remember:

The word "tear" is used in different contexts:

• Tear (a drop of liquid from the eye): Works with phrases like "single tear," "tear of joy," or "tear of sadness."

  • Example: A tear of happiness rolled down her cheek.

• Tear (to rip or split something): Often paired with words like "tear the paper," "tear along the edges," or "easily tear."

  • Example: The strong wind caused the flag to tear at the seams.