What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
pare
Example
She pared the apple with a sharp knife. [pare: verb]
Example
He carefully pared the rough edges of the wood to make it smooth. [pared: past tense]
peel
Example
She peeled the banana before eating it. [peel: verb]
Example
The old paint was peeling off the walls. [peeling: present participle]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Peel is more commonly used than pare in everyday language. Peel is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while pare is less common and is mostly used in cooking and food preparation.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between pare and peel?
Both pare and peel are relatively informal words, but pare may be slightly more formal due to its association with cooking and food preparation.
