harass

/həˈɹæs/

//həˈɹæs// verb

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

"harass" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“harass” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #20,132 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#20,132
frequency rank, English
6
letters
7
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To annoy (someone) frequently or systematically; to pester.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

harass vs harsh
67% similar
harass vs hares
67% similar
harass vs Harps
50% similar

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

Key facts for harass
PropertyValue
Headwordharass
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/həˈɹæs/
Letters6
Frequency rank#20,132
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “harass” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). harass lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for harass is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /həˈɹæs/. Corpus data places it at rank #20,132 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for harass, with forms such as "ahrass", "haarss", and "haras". 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 11 confusable-pair relationships, "harsh", "hares", "Harps", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: The verb is derived from Middle French, Old French harasser (“to exhaust, tire out, wear out; to harry, torment, vex”) (modern French harasser (“to exhaust, tire out, wear out”)), possibly from Old French harer (“to set a dog on”), from Frankish *hara (“her… The correct English form is harass, spelled H-A-R-A-S-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    To annoy (someone) frequently or systematically; to pester.
  2. 2
    To annoy (someone) frequently or systematically; to pester.
  3. 3
    To put excessive burdens upon (someone); to subject (someone) to anxieties.
  4. 4
    To trouble (someone, or a group of people) through repeated military-style attacks.
  5. 5
    Often followed by out: to fatigue or tire (someone) with exhausting and repeated efforts.

Etymology

The verb is derived from Middle French, Old French harasser (“to exhaust, tire out, wear out; to harry, torment, vex”) (modern French harasser (“to exhaust, tire out, wear out”)), possibly from Old French harer (“to set a dog on”), from Frankish *hara (“here, hither”) (a command for a dog to attack), from Proto-Germanic *hē₂r (“here, in this place”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱe (“here; this”) + *ís (“the (person or thing just named)”) + *-r. The noun is derived from the verb.

This word in other languages

acosar(Español)harceler(Français)belästigen(Deutsch)assediar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ahrass,haarss,haras,harrass,harsas,hharass,hraass

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of harass - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ahrass2haarss2haras1harrass1harsas2hharass1hraass2
Edit distance from "harass"

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 "harass"?
"harass" is spelled H-A-R-A-S-S. The IPA pronunciation is /həˈɹæs/.
What does "harass" mean?
As a verb, "harass" means: To annoy (someone) frequently or systematically; to pester.
What words are commonly confused with "harass"?
"harass" is commonly confused with "harsh", "hares", "Harps". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "harass"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "harass" is /həˈɹæs/. 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 "harass"?
The verb is derived from Middle French, Old French harasser (“to exhaust, tire out, wear out; to harry, torment, vex”) (modern French harasser (“to exhaust, tire out, wear out”)), possibly from Old French harer (“to set a dog on”), from Frankish *... 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.

Using “harass”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is H-A-R-A-S-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /həˈɹæs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “harsh” - see the side-by-side comparison. harass vs harsh
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list