Which to use
“erase” is a verb and “eraser” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #11,886
- “erase” frequency rank
- #31,163
- “eraser” frequency rank
- 43049
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | erase | eraser |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To remove (markings or information). | One who erases. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set erase and eraser apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: erase is /ɪˈɹeɪs/ while eraser is /ɪˈɹeɪzə/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “erase” sits inside “eraser”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 43049, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
erase is recorded at frequency rank #11,886, classified as averb, pronounced /ɪˈɹeɪs/. eraser is at rank #31,163, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ɪˈɹeɪzə/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 43049, this pair ranks #243,674 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of erase vs eraser
Shared letters: aers. Private to "erase": -. Private to "eraser": -.
"erase" · 5 letters · shape VCVCV · "eraser" · 6 letters · shape VCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "erase" and "eraser" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "erase" or "eraser"?
Remembering erase vs eraser
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “erase”; for a noun, it's “eraser”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “erase” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable