reap

/ɹiːp/

//ɹiːp// verb

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

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

The verdict

“reap” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #14,394 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#14,394
frequency rank, English
4
letters
4
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To cut (for example a grain) with a sickle, scythe, or reaping machine

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

reap vs RP
0% similar
reap vs red
50% similar
reap vs rep
75% similar

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

Key facts for reap
PropertyValue
Headwordreap
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɹiːp/
Letters4
Frequency rank#14,394
Misspellings tracked4
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “reap” 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). reap 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 reap is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɹiːp/. Corpus data places it at rank #14,394 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 4 likely wrong-spelling variants for reap, with forms such as "erap", "reapp", and "repa". 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, "RP", "red", "rep", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English repen, from Old English rēopan, rēpan, variants of Old English rīpan (“to reap”), from Proto-West Germanic *rīpan, from Proto-Germanic *rīpaną (compare West Frisian repe, Norwegian ripa (“to score, scratch”)), from Proto-Indo-European *h… The correct English form is reap, spelled R-E-A-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    To cut (for example a grain) with a sickle, scythe, or reaping machine
  2. 2
    To gather (e.g. a harvest) by cutting.
  3. 3
    To obtain or receive as a reward, in a good or a bad sense.
  4. 4
    To terminate a child process that has previously exited, thereby removing it from the process table.
  5. 5
    To deprive of the beard; to shave.
  6. 6
    rape

Etymology

From Middle English repen, from Old English rēopan, rēpan, variants of Old English rīpan (“to reap”), from Proto-West Germanic *rīpan, from Proto-Germanic *rīpaną (compare West Frisian repe, Norwegian ripa (“to score, scratch”)), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁reyb- (“to snatch”).

This word in other languages

segar(Español)faucher(Français)ernten(Deutsch)ceifar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: erap,reapp,repa,rreap

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of reap - 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.

erap2reapp1repa2rreap1
Edit distance from "reap"

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 "reap"?
"reap" is spelled R-E-A-P. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹiːp/.
What does "reap" mean?
As a verb, "reap" means: To cut (for example a grain) with a sickle, scythe, or reaping machine
What words are commonly confused with "reap"?
"reap" is commonly confused with "RP", "red", "rep". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "reap"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "reap" is /ɹiːp/. 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 "reap"?
From Middle English repen, from Old English rēopan, rēpan, variants of Old English rīpan (“to reap”), from Proto-West Germanic *rīpan, from Proto-Germanic *rīpaną (compare West Frisian repe, Norwegian ripa (“to score, scratch”)), from Proto-Indo-E... 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 “reap”

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

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