tier

Everyday

1. A tier is one of several layers or levels placed one above another: a three-tier wedding cake, tiers of seats. tree →
2. A tier is a level in a system or ranking: the top tier of football, a tier of government. tree →

In the lessons

Everyday life: tiered cakes at weddings, tiers of seats in a stadium or theatre. Maths: counting objects in tiers (e.g. a stack of cups with 1, 2, 3, 4 per tier) leads to number patterns like triangular numbers. School: some exams have tiers (foundation and higher). Business: price tiers (basic, premium).

Examples

• The wedding cake had three tiers. tree →
• We sat in the top tier of the stadium. tree →
• The Premier League is the top tier of English football. tree →
• Each tier of the pyramid had fewer blocks. tree →
• The exam has two tiers: foundation and higher. tree →
• Town councils are one tier of government. tree →

Note

Said like «tear» (as in crying): «teer». Homophone trap: «tier» (a level) sounds like «tear» (a drop from the eye), not like «tire/tyre». Maths: a tower of 4 tiers with 1, 2, 3, 4 blocks has 10 blocks in all.