reaper

/ˈɹiːpɚ/

//ˈɹiːpɚ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“reaper” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #19,677. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#19,677
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - One who reaps; a person employed to harvest crops from the fields by reaping.

Corpus desk

Index EN-reaper · reaper · English

reaper · rank #19,677 · 8 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #19,677
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH Ravi

Nearest frequency peer: Ravi (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “reaper”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “reaper” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

reaper vs rear
67% similar
reaper vs refer
67% similar
reaper vs repel
67% similar

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

Key facts for reaper
PropertyValue
Headwordreaper
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹiːpɚ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#19,677
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “reaper”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).reaperlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Ravi” (#19,676), “reassure” (#19,678), “Rao” (#19,675). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “reaper” is #19,677. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around reaper (IPA /ˈɹiːpɚ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #19,677 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for reaper, with forms such as "eraper", "raeper", and "reaepr". 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, "rear", "refer", "repel", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English reper, repare, repere, *riper (the last, attested only in surnames Ryper, Riper, etc.), from Old English rīpere (“reaper”), equivalent to reap + -er. The correct English form is reaper, spelled R-E-A-P-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    One who reaps; a person employed to harvest crops from the fields by reaping.
  2. 2
    A machine used to harvest crops.
  3. 3
    Ellipsis of Grim Reaper.
  4. 4
    A recluse spider (Loxosceles and Sicarius spp.).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how reaper appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Even as we looked some rumour seemed to have spread, for we saw the reapers hurrying from the fields.
  2. Thereafter when their cups were brimmed anew with foaming wine the Red Foliot spake among them and said, “O ye lords of Witchland, will you that I speak a dirge in honour of Gorice the King that the dark reaper hath this day gathered?”

Etymology

From Middle English reper, repare, repere, *riper (the last, attested only in surnames Ryper, Riper, etc.), from Old English rīpere (“reaper”), equivalent to reap + -er.

This word in other languages

cosechador(Español)moissonneur(Français)Schnitter(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • eraper
  • raeper
  • reaepr
  • reaperr
  • reapper
  • reapre
  • repaer
  • rreaper

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

eraper2raeper2reaepr2reaperr1reapper1reapre2repaer2rreaper1
Edit distance from "reaper"

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 "reaper"?
"reaper" is spelled R-E-A-P-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹiːpɚ/.
What does "reaper" mean?
As a noun, "reaper" means: One who reaps; a person employed to harvest crops from the fields by reaping.
What words are commonly confused with "reaper"?
"reaper" is commonly confused with "rear", "refer", "repel". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "reaper"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "reaper" is /ˈɹiːpɚ/. 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 "reaper"?
From Middle English reper, repare, repere, *riper (the last, attested only in surnames Ryper, Riper, etc.), from Old English rīpere (“reaper”), equivalent to reap + -er. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "reaper", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Rahman#19,674piling#19,665orchid#19,652starch#19,706

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

shrug8 variantsstony8 variantsYamaha8 variantsGoddard8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list