Rap or wrap?
rap is a noun meaning “A sharp blow with something hard”; wrap is a verb meaning “To enclose (an object) completely in any flexible, thin material such as fabric…”. Use rap as a noun and wrap as a verb (wrap is also a noun: “Paper or sheeting that is wrapped around something to…”). They sound the same (/ɹæp/). In written English (wordfreq, 2021 data) wrap is about as common as rap.
What is the difference between rap and wrap?
| rap | wrap | |
|---|---|---|
| Part of speech | noun, verb | verb, noun |
| Meaning | A sharp blow with something hard informalA casual talk To strike something sharply with one's knuckles; knock | To enclose (an object) completely in any flexible, thin material such as fabric or paper To enclose or coil around an object or organism, as a form of grasping Paper or sheeting that is wrapped around something to protect, contain, or conceal it |
| Example | You can't act irresponsibly and then expect me to take the rap | Christmas gifts are commonly known to be wrapped in paper |
| Forms | raps | wraps, wrapping, wrapped |
| Pronunciation | /ɹæp/ | /ɹæp/ /ɹɒp/ /(w)ræp/ |
| In writing | 13 times per million words | 16 times per million words |
Sources: rap and wrap in the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
Every current meaning of rap and wrap
rap
- 1
A sharp blow with something hard
- 2
To strike something sharply with one's knuckles; knock
- 3
A lea or skein of yarn that forms the standard length taken from the reel, 80 yards of worsted or 120 yards of silk or cotton
- 4
Any of the tokens that passed current for a halfpenny in Ireland in the early part of the eighteenth century; any coin of trifling value
- 5
To seize and carry off
- 6
USAcronym of record of arrest and prosecution
- 7
to rappel
- 8
Initialism of recognized air picture
wrap
- 1
To enclose (an object) completely in any flexible, thin material such as fabric or paper
Christmas gifts are commonly known to be wrapped in paper
- 2
Paper or sheeting that is wrapped around something to protect, contain, or conceal it
- 3
AustraliainformalAlternative spelling of rap (“appraisal”)
- 4
To enclose or coil around an object or organism, as a form of grasping
A snake wraps itself around its prey
- 5
A large sheet of self-adhesive material applied over a vehicle's paintwork for decorative or protective purposes
- 6
To conceal by enveloping or enfolding; to hide
- 7
A loose piece of women's clothing that one wraps around the body; a shawl or scarf
- 8
To finish shooting (filming) a video, television show, or movie
To avoid going over budget, let's make sure we wrap by ten. (compare wrap up 2)
Source: the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); obsolete, archaic, dialect and rare senses left out.
Which is more common, rap or wrap?
rap appears 13 times per million words; wrap 16 times per million words.
rap 13 times per million wordswrap 16 times per million words
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How many people search rap vs wrap?
“rap vs wrap” is searched about 170 times a month on Google and 10 on Bing in the United States. Google counts close variants of a query together (“wrap vs rap”, “rap or wrap”).
Sources: Google Ads keyword data through DataForSEO and Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, the average month from September 2025 to August 2026.