A pear is a pear, or at least that's how it seems. The fruit is the same whether you buy it at the market in Inca, order it at a greengrocer's in Valencia, or at a stall in La Boqueria. The word is also spelled the same everywhere. However, it's enough to hear how it's pronounced for something to change. If you buy it in Inca, they will probably ask if you want it very ripe and you'll hear a 'p[ə]ra' (neutral 'e'). If you are in Valencia, it will be a 'p[é]ra' (closed 'e'), and in Barcelona, no one will hesitate to offer you a 'p[è]ra' (open 'e'). Now comes the question you might be asking yourselves in light of this: how is it possible that such a common word sounds in three ways? And, above all, which one is the original?