“Stair” or “Stare”—Which to use?

“Stair” or “Stare”

Overview

stair / stare 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

stair: NA

stare: (noun) a fixed look with eyes open wide. (verb) fixate one's eyes.

Pronunciation

stair: s·t·EH·r

stare: s·t·EH·r

Trends

📈 See Trends

Looking for a tool that handles this for you wherever you write?

Get Sapling

Examples in Context

Examples of “stair”

A curvilinear stair or "stoop" conforms to the…
…wall, and an external timber stair is located on the northwest.
…to the new church of Stair in the night-time.
Each wing has an internal stair, and the northern wing has…
…Dalrymple, the First Earl of Stair (1648-1707).
…the newly erected Parish of Stair.
…on the first floor, a stair tower leading to the second…
Stair Memorial Encyclopaedia, Vol 7 The…
…posts, cross-braced balustrade and central stair.
On a Stair (Penguin Books, 1997)

Examples of “stare”

…coordinate level is called horizontal stare decisis.
…systems follow the doctrine of stare decisis, by which most courts…
…of anything: I could only stare at her.
…women feel uncomfortable when men stare at them while they try…
…design enables the sensors to "stare" at the Earth and thus…
…to precedents is known as stare decisis (a Latin phrase with…
Stare at the Sun - 7:48
…Chavacano words mean "Do not Stare".
…was known for his intimidating stare and pumping his fist after…
…with his daughters as they stare up to the star that…

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

Too Much to Remember?

Install Sapling