ESEN
Which one to use?Intermediateverb / nounnoun
BorevsBoar
'Bore' is the past of 'to bear', or means to drill/tunnel, or is a boring person; 'boar' is a male wild pig.
Side-by-side comparison
Bore
verb / noun"Bore" is the past tense of "bear" (to carry, to endure) and can also mean to drill a hole or to cause boredom. "She bore the weight" = she endured the weight.
She bore the criticism with remarkable grace and professionalism.
The long meeting bored everyone, nothing was actually decided.
He is such a bore, he talks about himself for hours.
Boar
noun"Boar" is a male wild pig or an uncastrated male domestic pig. It is an animal with no relation to the verbs above.
A wild boar was spotted near the hiking trail, hikers were advised to stay back.
The medieval forest was home to many boars, deer, and wolves.
Boar hunting was a popular sport among European nobility for centuries.
Common mistake
- •"A wild bore attacked the hiker" is wrong: the wild pig is "boar".
- •"Bore" is a tedious person or thing, the past tense of "bear" (to endure), or the inside of a tube.
Trick to remember it
- •"Bore" ends in ORE like "more", "ignore": abstract things.
- •"Boar" ends in OAR like "roar": the loud sound of a wild animal.
Quick rule
- •"Bore" = to bore, a tedious person, or past tense of "bear".
- •"Boar" = the male wild pig.
Did you know?
Wild boar hunting was the most dangerous sport in medieval European nobility, a greater test of courage than deer hunting. Adult boars can weigh 300 kg, run at 50 km/h, and their tusks can cause fatal wounds. Many European noble families include a boar on their coat of arms as a symbol of bravery. Today, feral boar populations are considered invasive pests across much of Europe and the Americas, causing significant agricultural damage.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
A wild _____ ran across the road and scared the drivers.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
The three-hour speech _____ everyone in the room. People were checking their phones.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
AcceptvsExcept
One means to receive or agree to something, the other means to exclude or not include.
AdvicevsAdvise
'Advice' is the guidance you receive (noun); 'advise' is the act of giving that guidance (verb).
AffectvsEffect
'Affect' is the verb meaning to influence something; 'effect' is the noun meaning result or consequence.
AislevsIsle
'Aisle' is the walkway between rows of seats or shelves; 'isle' is a small island.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy