tear · tear · tier
tear (rip) /tɛər/ · tear (drop) /tɪər/ · tier /tɪər/ — one word spelt two ways; one spelling pronounced two ways. tear (drop) and tier are homophones. tear (rip) and tear (drop) are homographs — same letters, different sound.
tear (rip)
/tɛər/
diphthong /ɛər/ — to rip
tear (drop)
/tɪər/
diphthong /ɪər/ — crying
tier
/tɪər/
= tear (drop) — a level
Homograph
Same spelling tear — two pronunciations
/tɛər/ (rip) ≠ /tɪər/ (drop)
Homophones
Different spellings tear / tier — same sound
/tɪər/ = /tɪər/
verb — to rip or pull apart — 'tear the paper' · 'tear it in half' · 'wear and tear'
mouth shape
diphthong /ɛər/ — mouth opens to /ɛ/ (like 'bed') then glides into R — like 'care', 'dare', 'wear'
tear
/tɛər/
vowel length
noun — a drop of liquid from the eye when crying — 'a tear ran down her cheek' · 'moved to tears' · 'crocodile tears'
mouth shape
diphthong /ɪər/ — start with /ɪ/ (like 'bit') then glide into R — like 'fear', 'near', 'here' — NOT the same as the ripping tear!
tear
/tɪər/
vowel length
noun — a level or row, especially one above another — 'a three-tier cake' · 'top tier' · 'first-tier support'
mouth shape
identical to tear (drop) — /tɪər/ — these two words are perfect homophones
tier
/tɪər/
vowel length
Key difference
tear (rip) → /tɛər/ — the /ɛ/ vowel is like in “bed”. Rhymes with care, dare, wear.
tear (drop) = tier → /tɪər/ — the /ɪ/ vowel is like in “bit”. Rhymes with fear, near, here.
Context tells you which tear is meant: “She began to tear the letter” (rip) vs “a tear rolled down her face” (drop).
Example sentences
tear (rip):“Be careful not to tear the page.”
tear (drop):“A single tear fell from his eye.”
tier:“She sat in the top tier of the stadium.”
Hear it in a sentence
“A single tear rolled down her cheek during the farewell speech.”
“She tried to tear the paper, but it was too thick to rip.”
“The wedding cake had four tiers, each decorated with fresh flowers.”
Hear it in the wild
Real speech from native speakers — the most reliable way to check a pronunciation, since automated audio can vary by device and browser.
tear
Hear native speakers say “tear” in real sentences — news, lectures, and podcasts.
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tier
Hear native speakers say “tier” in real sentences — news, lectures, and podcasts.
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How teachers explain this
Approved tips from the community, sorted by helpfulness
Word families
tear (rip) family ▸
tear (drop) / tier family ▸
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