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Tear and desert ‘Tear’ and ‘desert’ are words that are pronounced differently to indicate their meaning. The noun tear, which is a drop of fluid from the eye, rhymes with the word dear. ‘She shed a tear when her cat died.’ But when we use ‘tear’ as a verb, meaning to rip, it's pronounced 'tear' and that rhymes with the word 'bear'. ‘Don't tear the book.’ The noun ‘desert’ means a barren dry, sandy and often lifeless place. ‘It rarely rains in the desert.’ But when the word ‘desert’ is used as a verb, meaning to run away, it's pronounced 'desert'. ‘Don't desert me, stay and help please.’ When it's spelt with two Ss ‘desert’ is used to describe the part of a meal that is often eaten after the main course. It usually consists of something sweet. ‘I don’t think I'll have any dessert thanks, I am already full.’ Flickr CC: Elisa Banfi