Flair vs flare
Flair and flare sound the same. Flair is a natural talent or a stylish way of doing things. Flare is a sudden bright light or a signal light, and as a verb it means to burst out or widen outward.
Flare and fire both end in re. A flare is about sudden light or flames.
flair noun
A natural talent for something, or a stylish way of dressing or doing things.
- She has a real flair for languages and picked up Italian in a few months.
- He always dresses with a certain flair.
flare noun
A sudden burst of bright light, or a device that burns brightly to signal for help.
- The stranded hikers lit a red flare as soon as they heard the helicopter.
- A sudden flare from the fireplace lit up their faces for a moment.
Watch out
- Flare is often a verb. To flare up means to break out suddenly or to get angry suddenly. Flair is not used this way.She tends to flare up whenever anyone questions her judgment.
- Flare can also mean to widen outward in shape, as with the rim of a bowl or a skirt.Potters flare the rim of a bowl by pressing outward as the wheel turns.
- A flare, or flare-up, can also be a sudden worsening of a long-term illness, such as eczema or arthritis.An osteoarthritis flare in her hip forced her to cancel the hiking trip.
Test yourself
He has a blank for telling funny stories.
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flair. This is a natural talent, which is flair.
The sailors fired a blank into the night sky to signal for help.
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flare. A flare is a device that burns brightly as a signal.
Tempers began to blank up as the meeting dragged on.
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flare. To flare up means to start suddenly or grow stronger, like anger.
She decorates small apartments with real blank, using bold colors.
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flair. This is a stylish quality in how she does things.