rare ~ scarce
[different pronunciation]
a rare coin
“Rare” (adjective — rare — rarer — rarest — for the right pronunciation of this word, please click here) means ‘1. (of meat) lightly cooked so that the redness and juice of the meat are retained; underdone; 2. uncommon; not happening many times; not to be found everywhere and/or every time’,
rare steak, cooked lightly, almost like the raw meat
e.g.
He is the best coin collector; he has many rare coins in his collection.
If we continue killing the animals at this rate, it won’t be long to see even the common crow on the list of rare birds.
Most people like their steak rare; not well-cooked.
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water is scarce here
“Scarce” (adjective — for the right pronunciation of this word, please click here) means ‘not plenty; hard to find; not available in required quantity or number’,
e.g.
Water is scarce in such dry places all round the year.
1. Drinking water is rare in these remote parts. [wrong]
Drinking water is scarce in these remote parts. [right]
2. They think their dog’s name is rare. [wrong]
They think their dog’s name is unusual. [right]
3. This cheese has a rare flavour. [wrong]
This cheese has an unusual flavour. [right]
