raise

/ɹeɪz/

//ɹeɪz// verb

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

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

The verdict

“raise” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,836 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#1,836
frequency rank, English
5
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To cause to rise; to lift or elevate.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

raise vs ras
60% similar
raise vs rate
60% similar
raise vs risk
60% similar

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

Key facts for raise
PropertyValue
Headwordraise
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɹeɪz/
Letters5
Frequency rank#1,836
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “raise” 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). raise 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 raise is 5 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɹeɪz/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,836 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 26 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for raise, with forms such as "raies", "raisse", and "rasie". 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, "ras", "rate", "risk", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English reysen, raisen, reisen, from Old Norse reisa (“to raise”), from Proto-Germanic *raisijaną, *raizijaną (“to raise”), causative form of Proto-Germanic *rīsaną (“to rise”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rey- (“to rise, arise”). According to K… The correct English form is raise, spelled R-A-I-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To cause to rise; to lift or elevate.
  2. 2
    To cause to rise; to lift or elevate.
  3. 3
    To cause to rise; to lift or elevate.
  4. 4
    To cause to rise; to lift or elevate.
  5. 5
    To cause to rise; to lift or elevate.
  6. 6
    To cause to rise; to lift or elevate.
  7. 7
    To cause to rise; to lift or elevate.
  8. 8
    To cause to rise; to lift or elevate.
  9. 9
    To cause to rise; to lift or elevate.
  10. 10
    To create, increase or develop.
  11. 11
    To create, increase or develop.
  12. 12
    To create, increase or develop.
  13. 13
    To create, increase or develop.
  14. 14
    To create, increase or develop.
  15. 15
    To create, increase or develop.
  16. 16
    To create, increase or develop.
  17. 17
    To create, increase or develop.
  18. 18
    To establish contact with (e.g., by telephone or radio).
  19. 19
    To respond to a bet by increasing the amount required to continue in the hand.
  20. 20
    To exponentiate, to involute.
  21. 21
    To extract (a subject or other verb argument) out of an inner clause.
  22. 22
    To produce a vowel with the tongue positioned closer to the roof of the mouth.
  23. 23
    To increase the nominal value of (a cheque, money order, etc.) by fraudulently changing the writing or printing in which the sum payable is specified.
  24. 24
    To instantiate and transmit (an exception, by throwing it, or an event).
  25. 25
    To open, initiate.
  26. 26
    Misspelling of raze.

Etymology

From Middle English reysen, raisen, reisen, from Old Norse reisa (“to raise”), from Proto-Germanic *raisijaną, *raizijaną (“to raise”), causative form of Proto-Germanic *rīsaną (“to rise”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rey- (“to rise, arise”). According to Kroonen (2013), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃er- (“to stir, rise”). Cognate with Old English rāsian (“to explore, examine, research”), Old English rīsan (“to seize, carry off”), Old English rǣran (“to raise”). Doublet of rear.

Synonyms

lift

This word in other languages

levantar(Español)élever(Français)heben(Deutsch)levantar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: raies,raisse,rasie,riase,rraise

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

raies2raisse1rasie2riase2rraise1
Edit distance from "raise"

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 "raise"?
"raise" is spelled R-A-I-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹeɪz/.
What does "raise" mean?
As a verb, "raise" means: To cause to rise; to lift or elevate.
What words are commonly confused with "raise"?
"raise" is commonly confused with "ras", "rate", "risk". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "raise"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "raise" is /ɹeɪz/. 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 "raise"?
From Middle English reysen, raisen, reisen, from Old Norse reisa (“to raise”), from Proto-Germanic *raisijaną, *raizijaną (“to raise”), causative form of Proto-Germanic *rīsaną (“to rise”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rey- (“to rise, arise”). Acco... 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 “raise”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is R-A-I-S-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɹeɪz/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “ras” - see the side-by-side comparison. raise vs ras
  • 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