There is often confusion over the words bear and bare.
Bear
The word bear has many meanings:
To carry (in many
senses of the word).
 We
come bearing gifts for your chief. 
Our
camels do not mate regularly, but we are expecting Tsu Tsu to bear her first baby
next season.
This
small tree bears hundreds of apples every year.
Who
will bear the responsibility for this vandalism?
My
auntie is the tall lady bearing the green hat.
(Bear means 'to wear' as opposed 'to carry' in this example.)
He
bears himself with utmost dignity.
Bear also mean 'to carry' in an even looser sense (i.e., to have)
You
bear a resemblance to your mother.
Does
this document bear your signature?
I
bear bad news, I'm afraid. |
To endure or to
tolerate.
Mrs
Taylor cannot bear the constant drone of the generator.
I
have learnt to bear the cold.
It is very easy to endure the difficulties of one's enemies. It is the successes of one's friends that are hard to bear.
(Oscar Wilde) |
To maintain a
direction.
Bear
left at the next two Y junctions.
This
track bears north for the next 10 miles and then bears east as far as the
lake. |
A large mammal.
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Bare
The adjective 'bare' means uncovered, naked or exposed (i.e.,
without cover, clothing or cladding).
Examples:
Don't
go out in bare feet. You'll catch a cold.
Was the
protestor totally bare when he ran in the meeting room?
You need to
cover those pipes. Bare pipes will freeze this winter.
Peter
ploughed those fields with his bear hands? 
(should be 'bare hands')
Select the correct version:
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TRUST THE BEAR
Writers are very familiar with 'bear' meaning 'a large mammal' (e.g., grizzly
bear). However, the word 'bear' is very versatile. It has many
meanings. When they encounter these other meanings, some writers are
attracted to 'bare' because they know that 'bear' denotes the large mammal.
Well, unless you mean 'exposed or naked' (i.e., bare), then bear is
correct:
 This idea did not bear fruit.
This idea did not bare fruit.
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BORE, BORNE, BORN
The past tense of 'to bear' is bore.
They bore
gifts for the chief.
You bore a
remarkable resemblance to your mother when you were younger.
The past passive participle of 'to bear' is borne.
She has
borne two children since moving to India.
The burden
borne by the managerial team was simply too heavy.
However, when talking about birth, the alternative participle 'born' is used
(as an adjective or in a passive
sentence.)
She was born
in Manchester.
(born in a passive sentence)
The child was
borne to a witch.
(should be born)
I was
London-born.
(born as part of an adjective)
Tip: The word before born is often the verb
'to be' (e.g., is, was, were, been).
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Easily Confused Words
