Which to use
“reach” and “reap” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,233
- “reach” frequency rank
- #14,394
- “reap” frequency rank
- 15627
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | reach | reap |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To extend, stretch, or thrust out (for example a limb or object held in the hand). | To cut (for example a grain) with a sickle, scythe, or reaping machine |
Where the eye mixes reach and reap
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between reach and reap
A purely visual mix-up. reach (/ɹiːt͡ʃ/) and reap (/ɹiːp/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 15627, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
reach is recorded at frequency rank #1,233, classified as averb, pronounced /ɹiːt͡ʃ/. reap is at rank #14,394, tagged as averb, pronounced /ɹiːp/.
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 15627, this pair ranks #462,805 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of reach vs reap
Shared letters: aer. Private to "reach": ch. Private to "reap": p.
"reach" · 5 letters · shape CVVCC · "reap" · 4 letters · shape CVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "reach" and "reap" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "reach" or "reap"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "reach" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "reap" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #462,805 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "reach" and "reap" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "reap vs Rua". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #462,805 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.