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Wear, where, were, or we're
Wear means having clothes on, where asks about a place, were is the past of are, and we're is short for we are.
Quick rule
We are fits? We're. Past of are? Were. A place? Where. Something on your body? Wear.
To have clothes, glasses, or jewelry on your body: wear a jacket.
It asks about or refers to a place: Where are you?
The past of are: we were tired, they were here.
Short for we are: we're late.
How to choose
| Question | wear | where | were | we're |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Does we are fit? | No | No | No | Yes |
| Is it the past of are? | No | No | Yes | No |
| Does it ask about or refer to a place? | No | Yes | No | No |
| Is it about having something on your body? | Yes | No | No | No |
Why it trips people up
Wear and where are homophones, and were and we're differ by one apostrophe. Typing fast or trusting autocorrect lets the wrong one through, so each needs its own quick test.
How they sound
Wear and where are both /wer/ (British /weə(r)/). Were is /wɜːr/, weak /wər/, and we're is /wɪr/ (British /wɪə(r)/), so only the first two are true homophones.
- wear/wer/
- where/wer/
- were/wɜːr/
- we're/wɪr/
How each one works
Wear
Glasses and accessories
I wear glasses to read.
Clothes for an event
What are you going to wear to the wedding?
Something you usually have on
She always wears a red scarf.
Where
Asking about a place
Where do you live?
Inside another sentence
I don't know where my keys are.
The place in which
This is the café where we met.
Were
Past of are
We were at the beach yesterday.
Past questions
Were you at home last night?
If I were: advice
If I were you, I would call her.
We're
We are: a state
We're hungry. Let's eat.
We're + -ing: plans
We're going to the movies tonight.
We are: origin
We're from Colombia.
Common mistakes
Wrong: Were going to be late.
Right: We're going to be late.
If you mean we are, you need the apostrophe: we're.
Wrong: They we're happy with the result.
Right: They were happy with the result.
They we're would mean they we are. The past of are is were, with no apostrophe.
Memory trick
We're has an apostrophe for the missing a of we are. Where hides here, like there: places. Were is the past of are. Wear is the one left: clothes.
It depends
- Ware
- Ware, as in software or kitchenware, is a fourth spelling that sounds like wear and where. It means objects of a certain kind.
FAQ
Were or we're?
Try we are: if it fits (we're ready), use we're. If you mean the past (we were ready), write were.
Wear or where for clothes?
Clothes are wear: What should I wear? Where is about places.