rip

/ɹɪp/

//ɹɪp// verb

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

"rip" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“rip” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #4,630 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#4,630
frequency rank, English
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To divide or separate the parts of (especially something flimsy, such as paper or fabric), by cutting or tearing; to tear off or out by violence.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

rip vs RS
0% similar
rip vs RT
0% similar
rip vs RM
0% similar

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

Key facts for rip
PropertyValue
Headwordrip
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɹɪp/
Letters3
Frequency rank#4,630
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “rip” 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). rip 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 rip is 3 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɹɪp/. Corpus data places it at rank #4,630 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 15 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

rip doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "RS", "RT", "RM", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English rippen, from earlier ryppen (“to pluck”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *rupjaną, *ruppōną, intensive of *raupijaną, causative of Proto-Indo-European *roub- ~ *reub-, variant of *Hrewp- (“to break”). See also West Frisian rippe, ripje, … The correct English form is rip, spelled R-I-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    To divide or separate the parts of (especially something flimsy, such as paper or fabric), by cutting or tearing; to tear off or out by violence.
  2. 2
    To tear apart; to rapidly become two parts.
  3. 3
    To remove violently or wrongly.
  4. 4
    To get by, or as if by, cutting or tearing.
  5. 5
    To move quickly and destructively.
  6. 6
    To cut wood along (parallel to) the grain.
  7. 7
    To copy data from a CD, DVD, Internet stream, etc., to a hard drive, portable device, etc.
  8. 8
    To take a hit, dose or shot of a drug (such as marijuana) or alcohol.
  9. 9
    To fart audibly.
  10. 10
    To mock or criticize (someone or something). (often used with on and into)
  11. 11
    To steal; to rip off.
  12. 12
    To move or act fast; to rush headlong.
  13. 13
    To tear up for search or disclosure, or for alteration; to search to the bottom; to discover; to disclose; usually with up.
  14. 14
    To surf extremely well.
  15. 15
    To be very good; rock

Etymology

From Middle English rippen, from earlier ryppen (“to pluck”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *rupjaną, *ruppōną, intensive of *raupijaną, causative of Proto-Indo-European *roub- ~ *reub-, variant of *Hrewp- (“to break”). See also West Frisian rippe, ripje, roppe, ropje (“to rip”), Dutch dialectal rippen, Low German ruppen, German Low German röpen, German rupfen, also Old English rīpan, rīepan (“to plunder”), West Frisian rippe (“to rip, tear”), German raufen (“to rip”); also Albanian rrabe ‘maquis’, possibly Latin rubus (“bramble”). More at reave, rob.

Synonyms

tear

This word in other languages

rasgar(Español)ripper(Français)zerreißen(Deutsch)rasgar(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 "rip"?
"rip" is spelled R-I-P. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪp/.
What does "rip" mean?
As a verb, "rip" means: To divide or separate the parts of (especially something flimsy, such as paper or fabric), by cutting or tearing; to tear off or out by violence.
What words are commonly confused with "rip"?
"rip" is commonly confused with "RS", "RT", "RM". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "rip"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "rip" is /ɹɪp/. 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 "rip"?
From Middle English rippen, from earlier ryppen (“to pluck”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *rupjaną, *ruppōną, intensive of *raupijaną, causative of Proto-Indo-European *roub- ~ *reub-, variant of *Hrewp- (“to break”). See also West Frisian ripp... 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 “rip”

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

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