rasp

/ɹæsp/

//ɹæsp// noun

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

"rasp" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“rasp” is uncommon English (frequency #59,657 among 21,470 “R” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#59,657
frequency rank, English
21,470
“R” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A coarse file or filelike tool, on which the cutting prominences are distinct points raised by the oblique stroke of a sharp punch, instead of lines raised by a chisel, as on the true file.

Key facts for rasp
PropertyValue
Headwordrasp
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɹæsp/
Letters4
Frequency rank#59,657
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “rasp” 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). rasp lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

rasp is uncommon English at frequency #59,657 among 21,470 “R” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ɹæsp/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for rasp, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English raspen, from Old French rasper, from Frankish *hraspōn, from Proto-Germanic *hraspōną, related to Proto-Germanic *hrespaną (“to tear”). Compare Old High German raspōn (“to gather, rake”), Old English ġehrespan (“to tear”). The noun is fr… The correct English form is rasp, spelled R-A-S-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    A coarse file or filelike tool, on which the cutting prominences are distinct points raised by the oblique stroke of a sharp punch, instead of lines raised by a chisel, as on the true file.
  2. 2
    The sound made by this tool when used, or any similar sound.

Etymology

From Middle English raspen, from Old French rasper, from Frankish *hraspōn, from Proto-Germanic *hraspōną, related to Proto-Germanic *hrespaną (“to tear”). Compare Old High German raspōn (“to gather, rake”), Old English ġehrespan (“to tear”). The noun is from Middle French raspe.

This word in other languages

escofina(Español)râpe(Français)Raspel(Deutsch)grosa(Português)

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 "rasp"?
"rasp" is spelled R-A-S-P. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹæsp/.
What does "rasp" mean?
As a noun, "rasp" means: A coarse file or filelike tool, on which the cutting prominences are distinct points raised by the oblique stroke of a sharp punch, instead of lines raised by a chisel, as on the true file.
How do you pronounce "rasp"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "rasp" is /ɹæsp/. 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 "rasp"?
From Middle English raspen, from Old French rasper, from Frankish *hraspōn, from Proto-Germanic *hraspōną, related to Proto-Germanic *hrespaną (“to tear”). Compare Old High German raspōn (“to gather, rake”), Old English ġehrespan (“to tear”). The ... 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 “rasp”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is R-A-S-P - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɹæsp/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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