Awe, Or, Oar, and Ore

The Quick Answer
What are the differences between awe, or, oar, and ore?

  • Awe means astonishment.
  • Or is a conjunction used to offer an alternative.
  • Oar is a tool used to propel a boat through water.
    • Ore is a mineral from which metal can be extracted.
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Awe, Or, Oar, and Ore

Awe, or, oar, and ore sound identical, but their meanings are very different; i.e., they are not homonyms.

Click on the Two Correct Sentences
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Awe

The noun awe means wonderment, astonishment, or dread. (The word awe can also be used as a verb.)

Examples:
  • The employee was stuck with awe when his boss fired him.
  • He was filled with awe after seeing the breath-taking views of the Grand Canyon.
  • The students were awed by their new professor.
    • (This is an example of awe being used as a verb.)

Or

The conjunction or is used to offer an alternative or a replacement.

Examples:
  • Would you like cake or ice cream?
  • Complete your homework on time, or you'll fail the class.

Oar

The noun oar is a tool used to move a boat through water.

Examples:
  • Most Viking ships were powered by oars.
  • Warships had several oarsmen per oar because they were so long.

Ore

The noun ore is used to describe a mineral from which metal can be extracted.

Examples:
  • In 2005, China was the top importer of ores and metals ahead of the USA and Japan.
  • It is only worth extracting the ore if the metal is in a high enough concentration.
Interactive Exercise
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See Also

adverse or averse? affect or effect? appraise or apprise? avenge or revenge? bare or bear? complement or compliment? dependant or dependent? discreet or discrete? disinterested or uninterested? e.g. or i.e.? envy or jealousy? imply or infer? its or it's? material or materiel? poisonous or venomous? practice or practise? principal or principle? tenant or tenet? who's or whose?
What are nouns? What are conjunctions? What are verbs? List of easily confused words