Quick answer
Hair is the strands that grow on your head and body; a hare is a fast, long-eared animal related to the rabbit. Memory hook: hair is what you brush, while a hare is what you see darting across a field.
The core difference
Hair is what grows on skin, while a hare is an animal (and, as a verb, means to run very fast).
- hair — the strands growing on a person or animal: She dyed her hair a deep shade of red.
- hare — a long-eared, long-legged animal like a large rabbit: A hare darted across the field.
- hare (verb) — to run very fast: He hared off down the street when he saw the bus leaving.
How to tell them apart
The two words sound identical, so the mix-up only shows up in writing. Ask yourself whether you mean something on a head or something in a field. If it has fur and ears, it is a hare; if it can be brushed, it is hair.
The idiom by a hair (a tiny margin) uses hair, not hare, because it means a single strand. The verb to hare, meaning to run very fast, is the only other place you will meet the animal's spelling.
Frequently asked questions
Are hair and hare pronounced the same?
Yes, they are homophones in standard English, so only the spelling and context tell you which is meant.
Is a hare the same as a rabbit?
No. A hare is related to the rabbit but is generally larger with longer legs, and hares do not dig burrows the way rabbits do.
Can hare be a verb?
Yes. To hare means to move very quickly, usually by running, as in He hared off down the street.
