Revised as of
6 Dec 2022
Wow, another set of heterographs (a subset of homophone). Yep, liar vs lier vs lyre all sound alike and yet are spelled and defined differently.
The biggest word confusion is between liar and lier, possibly because they come from the same root word. Unfortunately for so many, they each come from a different meaning of the word:
A liar someone who says things they know are not true.
A lier is someone or something that is lying prostrate.
A lyre is primarily an instrument.
| The Liar Lie | The Lier Lie |
|---|---|
| An intentionally false statement | The way, direction, or position in which something lies |
The poor lyre simply got caught up in the sound-alike issue. Just remember that a lyre is always an instrument, even if it’s represented by stars in the sky.
NOTE: See the post(s) “Lay versus Lie“, “Lays versus Laze“, “Lade versus Laid“, “Lie versus Lye“, and “Lain versus Lane“.
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
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| Liar | Lier | Lyre |
|---|---|---|
I’m Not a Liar! by Tristan Schmurr is under the CC BY 2.0 license, via Flickr. |
Man Asleep on a Park Bench is under the Pixabay License, via Pixabay. — A lier on an autumn day. |
Make Music – IV: The Lyre by Egisto Sani is under the CC BY 2.0 license, via Flickr. |
| Part of Grammar: | ||
| Noun
Plural: liars |
Noun
Plural: liers |
Noun
Plural: lyres |
| A person who tells falsehoods | A person or thing that reclines, as in wait or in ambush
|
A stringed instrument like a small U-shaped harp with strings fixed to a crossbar, used especially in ancient Greece
[Astronomy; initial capital letter] The constellation Lyra |
| Examples: | ||
| Noun: The man was a notorious liar. Shelley wasn’t a good liar. They’re a filthy bunch of liars. |
People have been hunting for the lier.
She is a lier in bed, dreaming the day away. That dog is such a lier; he’d sleep all day if he could. |
He plays the lyre with such emotion.
Ancient Greek art commonly uses images of people playing lyres. Lyres are primarily plucked, but some are played with a bow. The angels are playing a collection of musical instruments, including the harp, tambourine, cymbals, lyre, and psaltery. In Greek mythology, Lyra represents the lyre of Orpheus. |
| History of the Word: | ||
| Old English lēogere from Old English lyge (noun), lēogan (verb) is of Germanic origin and related to the Dutch liegen and the German lügen + -ar. | First recorded in 1575–85 as lie (something intended or serving to convey a false impression) + |
Middle English is via the Old French lire and the Latin lyra from the Greek lura. |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Liar vs Lier vs Lyre
Apple Dictionary.com
Pinterest Photo Credits:
Liar (background removed) by Zichrini and Herkules Lyre (image resized and a fade gradient applied) by DarkmoonArt_de are both under the Pixabay License, via Pixabay. Bichon Frisé Lying Down (background removed and the dog rotated) is Julia‘s own work under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.
