Which to use
“scrape” is a verb and “scraps” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #17,236
- “scrape” frequency rank
- #17,479
- “scraps” frequency rank
- 34715
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | scrape | scraps |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To draw (an object, especially a sharp or angular one), along (something) while exerting pressure. | plural of scrap |
Where the eye mixes scrape and scraps
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. scrape (CCCVCV) and scraps (CCCVCC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses scrape with scraps
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: scrape is /skɹeɪp/ while scraps is /skɹæps/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - e in “scrape” becomes s in “scraps”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 34715, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
scrape is recorded at frequency rank #17,236, classified as averb, pronounced /skɹeɪp/. scraps is at rank #17,479, tagged as anoun, pronounced /skɹæps/.
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 34715, this pair ranks #318,353 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of scrape vs scraps
Shared letters: acprs. Private to "scrape": e. Private to "scraps": -.
"scrape" · 6 letters · shape CCCVCV · "scraps" · 6 letters · shape CCCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "scrape" and "scraps" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "scrape" vs "scraps" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "scrape" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "scraps" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #318,353 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "scrape" and "scraps" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "scraps vs scrip". 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 #318,353 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.