# rake

> English word · Noun · IPA /ɹeɪk/ · frequency rank #17,699

## Definitions
1. A garden tool with a row of pointed teeth fixed to a long handle, used for collecting debris, grass, etc., for flattening the ground, or for loosening soil; also, a similar wheel-mounted tool drawn by a horse or a tractor.
2. A similarly shaped tool used for other purposes.
3. A similarly shaped tool used for other purposes.
4. A type of puffer train that leaves behind a stream of spaceships as it moves.

## Etymology
From Middle English rake [and other forms], from Old English raca, racu, ræce (“tool with a row of pointed teeth, rake”), from Proto-Germanic *rakō, *rekô (“tool with a row of pointed teeth, rake”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- (“to straighten, right oneself”).
Cognates
The English word is cognate with Danish rage (chiefly regional), Middle Dutch rāke, rēke (modern Dutch raak, reek (both regional), riek (“pitchfork, rake”)), Middle Low German rāke, racke (modern German Low German Raak (“rake; poker”)), Old High German rehho, rech (Middle High German reche, modern German Rechen (“rake”)), Old Norse reka (“shovel”) (modern Icelandic reka (“shovel”)), Old Saxon recho, Old Swedish raka (modern Swedish raka (“rake; (long) straight section of a road”)).

## Easily confused with
- **re** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rake-vs-re)
- **ran** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rake-vs-ran)
- **ray** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rake-vs-ray)
- **raw** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rake-vs-raw)
- **RAM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rake-vs-ram)
- **rat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rake-vs-rat)
- **rap** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rake-vs-rap)
- **rue** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rake-vs-rue)
- **rye** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rake-vs-rye)
- **roe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rake-vs-roe)
- **Rao** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rake-vs-rao)
- **ras** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rake-vs-ras)
- **ree** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rake-vs-ree)
- **rav** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rake-vs-rav)
- **RKO** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rake-vs-rko)
- **rate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rake-vs-rate)
- **rule** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rake-vs-rule)
- **ride** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rake-vs-ride)
- **rose** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rake-vs-rose)
- **rise** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rake-vs-rise)

## Common misspellings (5)
`arke`, `raek`, `rakke`, `rkae`, `rrake`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/rake