Pronunciation: [bˈi͡ə] (IPA) 
The spelling of the word "bier" is not always intuitive, but it can be explained using phonetic transcription. The IPA symbol for the "i" sound in "bier" is /iː/, which represents a long vowel sound. The IPA symbol for the "e" sound in "bier" is /ɪə/, which represents a diphthong or two vowel sounds pronounced together. Therefore, "bier" is spelled with an "i" and "e" together to indicate the pronunciation of these two vowel sounds.
Bier is a noun that refers to a platform or stand used for supporting a coffin or a corpse during a funeral or burial ceremony. It typically consists of a solid frame, often made of wood, metal, or stone, upon which the deceased person's body is placed to be transported or prepared for burial.
Historically, biers have been an essential part of funeral rituals in various cultures and religions around the world. They serve as a solemn and dignified means of carrying and displaying the deceased during the mourning process. Biers can be simple or ornate, designed to reflect the cultural traditions and beliefs associated with death and the afterlife.
In some traditions, the bier may be stationary, positioned near the entrance of a funeral service or in a prominent area of a funeral home or place of worship. In other cases, it may be mobile, mounted on wheels or carried by pallbearers to transport the coffin from the funeral parlor to the burial site or the site of the funeral service.
The term "bier" can also be used metaphorically to describe anything that serves as a symbolic or figurative support for a person or idea. In literature or poetry, for example, it may refer to a platform or framework upon which a person's beliefs or emotions are displayed or carried forward, evoking a sense of mourning, remembrance, or tribute.
A frame of wood, or a carriage, on which the dead are borne to the grave.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "bier" originates from the Old English word "bǣr" or "bǣre", which was derived from the Proto-Germanic word "bariz". This Proto-Germanic word referred to a structure used for carrying the dead to their burial site, and it shares its roots with the Old Norse word "bǿra". In turn, "bariz" and "bǿra" stem from the Proto-Indo-European root "*bher-" meaning "to carry", which has also given rise to words like "bear" and "birth" in English.
