Cool MateClip vs Cut vs Shear
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Clip
Top 3,000 (common)B2noun
Cut
High-frequency chunkA1verb
Shear
Beyond 10,000 (less common)
Most common: Cut
| Clip | Cut | Shear | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/klɪp/"]/🇺🇸 /["/klɪp/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/kʌt/","/kʌts/","/ˈkʌtɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/kʌt/","/kʌts/","/ˈkʌtɪŋ/"]/ | 🇬🇧 //ʃɪə//🇺🇸 //ʃɪr// |
| Meaning | A small piece cut from something. | To use a sharp tool to make something separate into pieces. | To cut hair or wool off |
| Example | I used a plastic clip to hold my papers together. | Please cut the paper along the dotted line. | The farmer will shear the sheep before summer. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 3,000 (common) | High-frequency chunk | Beyond 10,000 (less common) |
| CEFR level | B2 | A1 | - |
| Part of speech | noun | verb | |
| Collocations | brief, short, film, see, view, watch, in a/the clip, clip from, bicycle, hair, nose, attach, fasten, put, hold something, ammo, ammunition, empty, empty, load, unload | thick, thinly, cleanly, from, into, off, cut and paste, cut somebody/something free, cut somebody/something loose, thick, thinly, cleanly, from, into, off, cut and paste, cut somebody/something free, cut somebody/something loose, thick, thinly, cleanly, from, into, off, cut and paste, cut somebody/something free, cut somebody/something loose, thick, thinly, cleanly, from, into, off, cut and paste, cut somebody/something free, cut somebody/something loose, thick, thinly, cleanly, from, into, off, cut and paste, cut somebody/something free, cut somebody/something loose, considerably, dramatically, drastically, try to, manage to, be forced to, by, from, to, thick, thinly, cleanly, from, into, off, cut and paste, cut somebody/something free, cut somebody/something loose, thick, thinly, cleanly, from, into, off, cut and paste, cut somebody/something free, cut somebody/something loose | shear sheep, shear hair, shear wool |
| Antonyms | attach, join | join, combine, attach | grow, add |
| Common mistakes | Confusing 'clip' with 'clap'., 'Clip' used as a noun and verb incorrectly., Using 'clip' in casual contexts when a formal term is needed. | 'Cutting' as a noun incorrectly (e.g. 'I will do a cut)., Confusing 'cut' with 'cut off' (which has a different meaning)., Using 'cut' with non-physical objects (e.g. 'cut a conversation' should be avoided). | Confusing with 'sheer' - they have different meanings., Using 'shear' in the present tense incorrectly (e.g., shears instead of shearing). |
| Usage notes | Use 'clip' to refer to cutting things or attachments. It's more common in practical contexts, but avoid using it for formal writing. | Use 'cut' in everyday situations related to slicing or dividing. It's appropriate in both casual and professional contexts, but be careful not to use it in overly formal writing. | Used in contexts related to cutting, especially in agriculture or grooming. Not commonly used in everyday conversation outside of these contexts. |
See it in real clips
Frequently asked questions: Clip vs Cut vs Shear
What's the difference between Clip, Cut, and Shear?
Clip: A small piece cut from something. Cut: To use a sharp tool to make something separate into pieces. Shear: To cut hair or wool off
Which is more common: Clip, Cut, and Shear?
Cut is the most common in everyday English.
Which is more advanced: Clip, Cut, and Shear?
Clip is the highest level, at B2, on the CEFR scale.
Can you show an example of each?
Clip: I used a plastic clip to hold my papers together. Cut: Please cut the paper along the dotted line. Shear: The farmer will shear the sheep before summer.
Can I use Clip, Cut, and Shear interchangeably?
Not always. Clip, Cut, and Shear are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.