What it does
Pazer is a disjunctive that introduces particularly long, ornate clauses. The melody itself is elaborate, almost recitative, signaling that what follows will be a complex sub-phrase with multiple servant tropes building toward a major pause.
Where it appears
Less common than the everyday tropes. Found in verses with detailed narration, instructions, or lists, places where the text spreads across many words before the next major stop.
How to remember it
Pazer means "scatterer." The melody scatters notes across several syllables, ornate and lingering. Visually the mark is a curved hook above the letter, more elaborate than the simple diagonal of Geresh.
Example from the Torah
Bereishis 22:2
Bereishis 22:2, the start of the Akeida, opens with Pazer on וַיֹּ֡אמֶר, setting up the long, weighty command that follows.
Hear the melody
A synthesized rendering of the melodic shape, not a vocal recording. For a baal koreh's voice on a full aliyah, PocketTorah is a great free resource.
Hand signal (simanim)
Often confused with
Karne Parah looks similar but is "Pazer Gadol", the bigger, rarer version. Karne Parah appears only once in the Torah.