ESEN
Which one to use?Intermediateverbo/sustantivoverbo
PorevsPour
"Pore over" = to study intensely; "pour" = to flow or transfer a liquid.
Side-by-side comparison
Pore
verbo/sustantivoAs a verb (always with "over"): to study, examine, or read something with great concentration. As a noun: a tiny opening in skin or a surface.
She pored over the contract for hours before finally signing it.
The detectives pored over every piece of evidence in the case.
He spent the weekend poring over old maps and historical documents.
Pour
verboTo flow or transfer a liquid from one container to another. Also: to flow in large quantities.
She poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down at her desk.
The rain poured down all afternoon, flooding the streets.
He poured all his savings into the new business.
Common mistake
"She poured over the documents" when meaning she studied them carefully is wrong: to study something intensely is "pore over." "Pour" means to transfer liquid, plausible if you spilled coffee on them, but rarely the intention.
Trick to remember it
- •"Pore over" = to examine every detail like studying pores under a magnifying glass.
- •"Pour" = to transfer liquid, like the sound of it flowing.
Quick rule
- •"Pore over" = to study intensely (always with "over").
- •"Pour" = to transfer or flow liquid.
Did you know?
"Pour over" is also the name of a popular specialty coffee brewing method: you slowly POUR hot water over ground coffee in a filter, extracting flavors more precisely than an automatic machine. "Pour over coffee" is on the menu of virtually any specialty coffee shop. So "pour over coffee" (the brewing method) is perfectly correct, but "poring over" the coffee menu means studying it very carefully. Same sound, completely different meanings depending on spelling.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
She _____ ed over the textbook all night before the exam.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
Could you _____ me a glass of water, please? I'm very thirsty.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
CouncilvsCounsel
'Council' is a governing body or committee; 'counsel' is legal advice or the act of advising.
StationaryvsStationery
'Stationary' means not moving; 'stationery' refers to writing materials like paper and envelopes.
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).
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy