To provide a lightweight bead having low flexural rigidity, to provide a bead wire suitable for obtaining such beads, and to provide such a pneumatic tire as to cause no rim piece to come off in the rim assembling work with good operability and be excellent in fuel economy.

This bead wire is characterized by having a diameter of ≥1.0 mm but <1.27 mm and a tensile strength of ≥2,100 MPa; preferable embodiments for the bead wire include obtaining it by making a primary drawing of a wire preform followed by making a secondary drawing without primary heat treatment and containing 0.7-0.9 wt.% of carbon. The 2nd objective bead is characterized by having a plurality of the bead wires. The other objective pneumatic tire is characterized by having at least a pair of the beads.