Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

shears

/ʃɪɹz/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.90 in modern English

Syllables: shears
IPA: /ʃɪɹz/

9

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

1

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

plural of shear

noun

A tool consisting of two blades with bevel edges, connected by a pivot, used for cutting cloth, or for removing the fleece from sheep etc.

noun

The bedpiece of a machine tool, upon which a table or slide rest is secured.

noun

An apparatus for raising heavy weights, and especially for stepping and unstepping the lower masts of ships. It consists of two or more spars or pieces of timber, fastened together near the top, steadied by a guy or guys, and furnished with the necessary tackle. Also sheers.

noun

Anything resembling a pair of shears in shape or motion, such as a pair of wings.

verb

third-person singular simple present indicative of shear

name

plural of Shear

Example Sentences

"Near-synonym: scissors"
"Cut with a shears using long, even strokes."
"the shears of a lathe or planer"
"two sharp winged Shears, Decked with divers Plumes, like painted Jays, Were fixed at his Back, to cut his airy ways."

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ʃɪɹz/
British English: /ʃɪə(ɹ)z/

Derived Forms

woolshears

Phrases

garden shears guillotine shears knight of the shears lever shears pair of shears pinking shears pruning shears purchase shears

Synonyms

scissors

Homonyms

sheers

Rhymes With

hears tiers buccaneers musketeers seers jeers meares overhears puppeteers fiers beres seres

Questions

How do you pronounce shears?: The recorded pronunciation is /ʃɪɹz/.
What does shears mean?: plural of shear

How to pronounce shears

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “shears”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ʃɪɹz/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “shears”.
Repeat and practice — Say “shears” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.