“Seam” or “Seem”—Which to use?

“Seam” or “Seem”

Overview

seam / seem are similar-sounding terms with different meanings (referred to as homophones). To better understand the differences, see below for definitions, pronunciation guides, and example sentences using each term. 👇

Definitions

seam: (noun) joint consisting of a line formed by joining two pieces. (noun) a stratum of ore or coal thick enough to be mined with profit. (verb) put together with a seam.

seem: (verb) appear to exist. (verb) appear to one's own mind or opinion.

Pronunciation

seam: s·IY·m

seem: s·IY·m

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Examples in Context

Examples of “seam”

…to the springback effect, a seam can appear loose, when in…
…since the introduction of double seams is the welded side seam.
…of steel exist in the seam.
…a cylinder with a side seam.
…a filling medium within the seam because otherwise the metal-to-metal contact…
…greatly expanded and a weak seam in the calico fabric suddenly
…contribute to a good double seam.
Prior to the welded side seam, the can body was folded…
…young batsman Dwayne Smith and seam bowler Pedro Collins taking their
…in conjunction with a manual double-seam monitor, computerized double seam scanner,…

Examples of “seem”

…Calhoun only made Van Buren seem the victim of petty politics,…
…beliefs” explains why events, which seem to be trivial for some…
does not seem aware of this (he responds,…
…and other events do not seem to be isolated incidents.
…tannins and make the wine seem to have off flavors.
…17th or early 18th centuries) seem to predate Pedi sites and…
Some of his assertions seem paradoxical and difficult to understand…
They also seem to share a common code…
Harry and Ramona seem to constantly undergo changes in…
…Barnes of Ratcliffe which would seem to have been delivered in

(Examples are Wikipedia snippets under the CC ShareAlike 3.0 license. Definitions drawn from WordNet.)

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