Flair vs. Flare (Grammar Rules)
Learn when to use flair vs. flare in your writing with Grammar Rules from the Writer’s Digest editors, including a few examples.
For this edition of Grammar Rules, let's look at two homophones, specifically flair and flare. One can be used as a verb and noun, while the other is only used as a noun. Despite that, both tend to draw quite a bit of attention.
So let's look at when to flair vs. flare.
Flair vs. Flare
Flair can only be used as a noun. It stands for an inherent ability to understand something or a certain type of style. A person may have a flair for the dramatic, or their flair makes them attractive to other people.
Flare, on the other hand, can be used as a noun or a verb. As a noun, it stands for an unsteady, glaring light (or a device that gives off such a light); a sudden outburst; or a spreading outward. And as a verb, it means to burn with an unsteady light, to break out or intensify, to express strong feelings, or to open or spread outward.
Make sense?
Here are a couple examples of flair and flare:
Correct: She has a flair for coaching that's made her successful with several different teams.
Incorrect: She has a flare for coaching that's made her successful with several different teams.
Correct: The trucker dropped a flare on the road to show where his big rig broke down at night.
Incorrect: The trucker dropped a flair on the road to show where his big rig broke down at night.
So my trick on this one might only make sense to me, but I think of how the "air" in "flair" makes it a noun that's hard to pin down; there's just this certain je ne sais quoi to flair. Some people have it, others don't. Meanwhile, anyone can hold a flare.
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No matter what type of writing you do, mastering the fundamentals of grammar and mechanics is an important first step to having a successful writing career.
Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Editor of Writer's Digest, which includes managing the content on WritersDigest.com and programming virtual conferences. He's the author of 40 Plot Twist Prompts for Writers: Writing Ideas for Bending Stories in New Directions, The Complete Guide of Poetic Forms: 100+ Poetic Form Definitions and Examples for Poets, Poem-a-Day: 365 Poetry Writing Prompts for a Year of Poeming, and more. Also, he's the editor of Writer's Market, Poet's Market, and Guide to Literary Agents. Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.
