blair, blare

The words blair, blare sound the same but have different meanings and spellings. Why do blair, blare sound the same even though they are completely different words?

The answer is simple: blair, blare are homophones of the English language.

blair
  1. ::

    Blair, Anthony Charles Lynton Known as "Tony” Born 1953. British lawyer, politician, and Labour Party leader who served as prime minister (1997-2007).

  2. ::

    Blair, Bonnie Born 1964. American speed skater who won five Olympic gold medals: three in the 500-meters (1988, 1992, and 1994) and two in the 1,000-meters (1992 and 1994).

  3. ::

    Blair, John 1732-1800. American jurist who was a member of the Constitutional Convention (1787) and served as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (1789-1796).

blare
  1. :: verb-intransitive

    To sound loudly and stridently: a stereo blaring in the next apartment.

  2. :: verb-transitive

    To cause to sound loudly and stridently: Don't blare the stereo.

  3. :: verb-transitive

    To proclaim loudly and flamboyantly: headlines blaring the scandal.

  4. :: noun

    A loud, strident noise.

Definitions from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition and Wordnik.

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About Homophones

Homophones (literally "same sound") are usually defined as words that share the same pronunciation, regardless of how they are spelled.

If they are spelled the same then they are also homographs (and homonyms); if they are spelled differently then they are also heterographs (literally "different writing").