erase

/ɪˈɹeɪs/

//ɪˈɹeɪs// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"erase" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“erase” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #11,886. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#11,886
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To remove (markings or information).

Corpus desk

Index EN-erase · erase · English

erase · rank #11,886 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #11,886
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH eng

Nearest frequency peer: eng (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “erase”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “erase” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

erase vs ERS
0% similar
erase vs ere
60% similar
erase vs ese
60% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for erase
PropertyValue
Headworderase
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪˈɹeɪs/
Letters5
Frequency rank#11,886
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “erase”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).eraselands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “eng” (#11,885), “evacuated” (#11,887), “earnest” (#11,884). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “erase” is #11,886. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around erase (IPA /ɪˈɹeɪs/), averb. Corpus frequency is #11,886 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for erase, with forms such as "earse", "eraes", and "erasse". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "ERS", "ere", "ese", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin erasus, past participle of eradere (“to scrape, to abrade”), from ex- (“out of”) + radere (“to scrape”). Compare Middle English arasen, aracen (“to eradicate, erase”). Displaced native Old English dilegian. The correct English form is erase, spelled E-R-A-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To remove (markings or information).
  2. 2
    To obliterate information from (a storage medium), such as to clear or (with magnetic storage) to demagnetize.
  3. 3
    To obliterate (information) from a storage medium, such as to clear or to overwrite.
  4. 4
    To remove a runner from the bases via a double play or pick off play
  5. 5
    To be erased (have markings removed, have information removed, or be cleared of information).
  6. 6
    To disregard (a group, an orientation, etc.); to prevent from having an active role in society.
  7. 7
    To kill; assassinate.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how erase appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. I erased that word from the page because it was wrong.
  2. I'm going to erase this tape.

Etymology

From Latin erasus, past participle of eradere (“to scrape, to abrade”), from ex- (“out of”) + radere (“to scrape”). Compare Middle English arasen, aracen (“to eradicate, erase”). Displaced native Old English dilegian.

Antonyms

record

This word in other languages

borrar(Español)effacer(Français)auslöschen(Deutsch)apagar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • earse
  • eraes
  • erasse
  • errase
  • ersae
  • rease

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of erase - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

earse2eraes2erasse1errase1ersae2rease2
Edit distance from "erase"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "erase"?
"erase" is spelled E-R-A-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪˈɹeɪs/.
What does "erase" mean?
As a verb, "erase" means: To remove (markings or information).
What words are commonly confused with "erase"?
"erase" is commonly confused with "ERS", "ere", "ese". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "erase"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "erase" is /ɪˈɹeɪs/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "erase"?
From Latin erasus, past participle of eradere (“to scrape, to abrade”), from ex- (“out of”) + radere (“to scrape”). Compare Middle English arasen, aracen (“to eradicate, erase”). Displaced native Old English dilegian. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "erase", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Kumar#11,908manly#11,912Nokia#11,922oxide#11,929

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

knit6 variantsDebbie6 variantsnerd6 variantschew6 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list