The Difference Between “Bear With Me” and “Bare With Me”

I won’t keep you in the dark. The only correct way to write the phrase from the title is “bear with me.” You’re welcome. Now, please, bear with me while I explain how to remember the difference and avoid making this kind of mistake in the future.

The meaning of “bear with me”

The verb “to bear” means to forbear, endure, put up with, be patient, wait, tolerate, and so on. It has nothing to do with a noun that sounds and is spelled the same and stands for a large furry animal.

When you say “bear with me” to someone, you’re asking them to be patient and wait until you finish something, to get ready for something, or to tolerate some delays from your side.

The meaning of “bare with me”

“To bare” means to reveal, disclose, unveil, expose, or uncover. It’s a transitive verb. Making a statement saying “bare with me” wouldn’t make any sense. You could, of course, say something like, “you can bare your plans” or “why does your dog bare his teeth every time he sees me?” But neither of these means what you’re trying to communicate by saying, “bear with me.”

Or you can use “bare” as an adjective and say, “would you like to get bare with me?” But that’s not what you had in mind, right? Asking someone to be patient with you has nothing to do with asking them to get naked with you. One thing is certain: never write “bare with me.”

Funny implications of “bear with me” vs. “bare with me”

Both sound correct because they sound the same. Yet, when put on paper or screen, both appear silly.

We’ve seen them both in written form. A surprisingly large number of people write this phrase incorrectly, which in turn, makes others confused.

If you write “bare with me,” it will be funny or rude. It depends on who’s reading.

But “bear with me” may appear funny (although not rude) to some as well. If you're writing to someone whose knowledge of English is limited, they may think that there’s a bear with you.

Examples of “bear with me” in a sentence

I’m sure I’ll find it, please bear with me for a couple of minutes.

I’m very ill and can’t complete the work right now, so please bear with me.

Please bear with me until I resolve an urgent issue.

Bear with me for a moment while I look into the matter.

Hopefully, now it’s very clear that “bear with me” is the correct way to ask someone to wait or endure something with you. Thanks for bearing with me!

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