Poor vs Pour vs Pore: What’s the Difference Between Them?

If you’re confused about poor, pour, or pore, not to worry! Lots of people are. These words all sound the same but they have very different meanings and usage. Keep on reading to find out everything you need to know.

Poor Pore Pour

These words are homophones (sound the same) which can make them a little bit confusing. However, they are used quite differently. Here are all the details you need to know

Poor: Usage, and Examples

An adjective that means have little of something (usually money) or inadequate, inferior. “Working poor” is a noun that refers to people with jobs who don’t make enough to live well.

Examples: 

• I’m a poor college student.
• It’s hard to grow anything in my garden because the soil is so poor.
• There are a lot of working poor in Vancouver because housing is so expensive.

Other words for poor

Synonyms of poor

• needy
• impoverished
• indigent
• deprived

Pour Meaning

Pour meaning: A verb that means to dispense a liquid.

Pour Examples in a sentence:

• Can you pour the water for everyone, please?
• Pour your drink out if you don’t want it. I’m tired of carrying it around for you.
• Be careful when you pour the water. The jug is quite full.

pore (noun): Meaning, Usage, and Examples

As a noun, it means a small opening, in a plant or animal. Often refers to pores on people’s faces.

Examples:

• Wash your face every night or your pores will get clogged.
• With the special dye, you can see the plant pores under a microscope.

Pore (verb): Meaning, Usage, and Examples

As a verb, it means to read or study something carefully.

Example:

Tommy pored over the contract, looking for a way that he could get out of it.

Pouring Over or Poring Over

Pouring something over means spilling something over. For example, if you pour juice over a book, it means that you spill juice on a book.

Poring over something means reading or studying something very carefully. If you pore over a book, it means that you read the book with great attention.

Pore, Pour, Poor: Practice

1. In Korea, you should _____ drinks to people older than you with both hands.
2. Be sure to _____ over chapter 3. Many of the test questions will come from there.
3. My family may be _____ but we have a lot of fun.
4. My husband and I both work but we’re considered to be among the _____.
5. I splash my face with cold water before bed to close my _____.
6. Teddy is very _____ in math. I’m worried he’ll fail.
7.  _____ me a glass, okay?

Answers

1. pour
2. pore
3. poor
4. working poor
5. pores
6. poor
7. pour

Poor Pore Pour Extra Practice

Work together with a study partner. Read the information about poor/pour/pore and do the practice section. Then, each of you can come up with five new sentences using these words. Read them to each other, one-by-one. Guess which word is used (poor, pour, or pore). Use context clues to help you decide (the other words in the sentence).

Want to Find Out More?

You can find hundreds of confusing English words and word pairs in this book: Most Confusing Words in English Explained. Pick up a copy and ace your next TOEFL, TOEIC, or IELTS exam! Find out everything you need to know about it right here:

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effect vs affect

Is irregardless a word?

after vs later

FAQs About Poor Pore Pour

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about poor pore pour.

What is the homophone for poor?

The homophones for poor are pore and pour.

What is the difference between pore and pour?

Pore is a noun that means an opening in a plant or animal; it can also be a verb that means to read or study something very carefully. Pour is a verb that means to dispense liquid.

How do you use pore and pour in a sentence?

Pore in a sentence: The student pored over the textbook during an open-book exam. Pour in a sentence: Pour the sauce over the pasta right before serving.

Join the Conversation

Do you have any tips or tricks for keeping pore, pour, and poor separate? What are the some homophones that ESL students confuse the most? Leave a comment below and let us know. We’d love to hear from you.

Last update on 2025-05-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API