Pour Over vs. Pore Over

Pour vs. Pore vs. Poor

Come on! We take three “words” our, ore, and oor (okay not a very popular word) with three distinct sounds, but then we add a “P” and suddenly they magically transform and all sound exactly the bloody same!

Pore should sound like pore.

Pour should sound like power

Poor should sound like pooh with an r at the end.

And don’t get me started on pause and pores.

Anyhoo, they do sound the same so let’s use them right.

Pore means “to read or study with great attention.” You pore over books.

Pour, on the other hand, means “to send flowing or falling,” as in she poured a cup of coffee.

Pore can also refer to a minute opening, like the pores on your skin.

Finally, poor means one is inadequate or impoverished.

Interestingly enough, pore as in minute opening and pore as in gaze intently, have different etymological roots. A minute opening comes from the 14^th century French word pore— a passage way. Pore, as in to gaze intently was first used in the 13^th century but the origin is unknown.