What's the difference between "flair" and "flare"?

Writing a nice comment under a friend’s outfit post? If you tell them they have a real “flare” for fashion, you’ve picked the wrong word. “Flair” and “flare” sound exactly the same, but one is about talent and style, and the other is about sudden bursts of light or trouble. Here’s how to keep them apart.

Flair

"Flair" means a natural talent for something, or a stylish, eye-catching way of doing things. It's often followed by "for."

• She has a real flair for design.
• He's got a flair for languages. He picked up Spanish in a year.
• She dances with so much flair.
• The cushions add a bit of flair to the room.

You'll hear it most when people talk about creative things like fashion, cooking, or decorating, but you can use it for almost any talent. A quick way to remember: "flair" has the word "air" in it, like the special air some people have about them.

Flare

"Flare" can be a noun or a verb. As a noun, it's a sudden bright light or flame, often used as an emergency signal.

• The boat sent up a flare when its engine failed.
• We saw the flare from miles away.

As a verb, it means to burn brightly for a moment, or to suddenly get stronger. It often comes with "up," especially for feelings, arguments, or health problems.

• The fire flared up when the wind picked up.
• Tempers flared during the meeting.
• My back pain flares up when I sit for too long.

In medical English, a "flare-up" is when symptoms suddenly get worse again.

• I had a bad allergy flare-up last spring.

And there's one more meaning that has nothing to do with fire. "Flare" can also describe something that gets wider at the bottom, like trousers or a skirt.

• These jeans flare at the ankle.
• She's wearing flared trousers from the seventies.

So if you're talking about talent or style, it's "flair." If something lights up, gets worse, or gets wider, it's "flare."

If you're interested in digging deeper into the English language, our Daily Dose of Denglisch Docs is the perfect tool.