* Bear: The vowel sound is similar to the "a" in "car" or "far". It's a short, open sound.
* Bare: The vowel sound is similar to the "a" in "hair" or "care". It's a long, open sound.
Here's a breakdown:
Bear:
* The "e" is silent.
* The vowel sound is short and open.
* Think of the word as sounding like "bair".
Bare:
* The "e" is pronounced.
* The vowel sound is long and open.
* Think of the word as sounding like "bair" with a slightly longer "a" sound.
Example:
* Bear: "The brown bear was sleeping in its den."
* Bare: "He walked outside in bare feet."
You can also think of it like this:
* Bear has a "short a" sound like in "cat".
* Bare has a "long a" sound like in "cake".
Let me know if you have any other questions.