Here’s one question you really need to answer correctly: Is it “bare with me” or “bear with me?” Choose wisely. Otherwise, your email to a coworker saying, “bare with me,” could inadvertently be inviting them to shed their clothes alongside you. Yikes!
The correct answer is: Bear with me.
And the easiest way to remember that is to picture a bear.
Now that you have that visual firmly implanted in your mind, consider the alternative: bare with me. The verb “to bare” means to reveal or uncover. Think of the expression “bare naked”—and no, we don’t need to add an image here. You get the point!
Online articles and even print publications (where are all the copyeditors these days???) are full of grammar mistakes and expressions misused. This is especially true when it comes to homophones.
Homophones are words that are pronounced alike but are spelled differently and don’t mean the same thing. For example, two, to, and too. Or bear and bare. And, to make it really confusing, homophones’ close cousins—homographs and homonyms—may have identical spellings but different meanings—for instance, bow (as in a ship) and bow (as in arrows).
How to Use Bear With Me Correctly
Knowing the correct spelling to use in the phrase “bear with me” is one thing—using the expression correctly is another. The verb “to bear” means to tolerate, accept, or endure. When you use the phrase “bear with me,” you are basically asking a person to be patient with you.
Here are five examples that demonstrate how the phrase can be used (with some slight variations on the word bear):
The bank manager asked the customer to bear with her as she reviewed the lengthy loan application.
Please bear with me. I just arrived and am getting settled into my new office.
I appreciate you bearing with me for the past few years.
The visit to the nursing home will be difficult. If you can’t bear to go, I’m fine without you.
Jane couldn’t bear it any longer; she had to quit her job.
Other Ways to Use Bear
Aside from the noun bear (as in a giant panda or something difficult to deal with), the word bear can be used as a transitive verb. Here are a few examples:
The market is volatile, and it bears watching.
The porch columns could no longer bear the weight of the roof.
Have you noticed how much Abigail bears a resemblance to her aunt?
The judge admonished the woman to avoid bearing false witness.
Jerry knew it was wrong to bear malice toward his neighbor.
Here’s a comprehensive guide on other uses of the word “bear“, including several popular expressions, and one piece explaining how to properly use the expression “come to bear“.
Alternative Ways to Say Bear With Me
If you feel the phrase “bear with me” is overused or not appropriate for your reader or audience, try some alternatives that carry the same meaning. This is helpful especially when you are trying to avoid jargon in your business writing or presentations. For example, an international audience or reader whose first language is not English may have trouble understanding the phrase. Try this instead:
Thank you for your patience. We will get the AC back on as soon as possible.
Please allow me a moment to get my notes organized.
I have multiple points to cover at this meeting. Please be patient with me as I attempt to address all of your questions.
The Takeaway
So, bear with me as I make the point once more: It’s bear with me, not bare with me. Bear should conjure up the image of a timid black bear patiently waiting in the woods for the campers to leave the picnic basket unattended. And bare reminds you of your 2-year-old nephew streaking through the backyard. Hopefully, those visuals will provide you the context needed to choose the right spelling every time.
