scrape
/skɹeɪp/
"scrape" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“scrape” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #17,236 in English word frequency and used as a verb.
- #17,236
- frequency rank, English
- 6
- letters
- 9
- tracked misspellings
- 15
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To draw (an object, especially a sharp or angular one), along (something) while exerting pressure.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | scrape |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /skɹeɪp/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Frequency rank | #17,236 |
| Misspellings tracked | 9 |
| Confusable pairs | 15 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “scrape” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for scrape is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /skɹeɪp/. Corpus data places it at rank #17,236 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for scrape, with forms such as "csrape", "scarpe", and "sccrape". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 15 confusable-pair relationships, "shape", "strap", "Snape", 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 scrapen, from Old Norse skrapa (“to scrape, scratch”) and Old English scrapian (“to scrape, scratch”), both from Proto-Germanic *skrapōną, *skrepaną (“to scrape, scratch”), from Proto-Indo-European *skrebʰ- (“to engrave”). Cognate with D… The correct English form is scrape, spelled S-C-R-A-P-E.
Definition
- 1To draw (an object, especially a sharp or angular one), along (something) while exerting pressure.
- 2To remove (something) by drawing an object along in this manner.
- 3To injure or damage by rubbing across a surface.
- 4To barely manage to achieve or attain.
- 5To collect or gather, especially without regard to the quality of what is chosen.
- 6To extract data by automated means from a format not intended to be machine-readable, such as a screenshot or a formatted web page.
- 7To occupy oneself with getting laboriously.
- 8To play awkwardly and inharmoniously on a violin or similar instrument.
- 9To draw back the right foot along the ground or floor when making a bow.
- 10To express disapprobation of (a play, etc.) or to silence (a speaker) by drawing the feet back and forth upon the floor; usually with down.
Etymology
From Middle English scrapen, from Old Norse skrapa (“to scrape, scratch”) and Old English scrapian (“to scrape, scratch”), both from Proto-Germanic *skrapōną, *skrepaną (“to scrape, scratch”), from Proto-Indo-European *skrebʰ- (“to engrave”). Cognate with Dutch schrapen (“to scrape”), schrappen (“to strike through; to cancel; to scrap”), schrabben (“to scratch”), German schrappen (“to scrape”), Danish skrabe (“to scrape”), Icelandic skrapa (“to scrape”), Walloon screper (“to scrape”), Latin scribō (“dig with a pen, draw, write”).
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: csrape,scarpe,sccrape,scraep,scrappe,scrpae,scrrape,srcape,sscrape
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of scrape - 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.
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 "scrape"?
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Using “scrape”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is S-C-R-A-P-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /skɹeɪp/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “shape” - see the side-by-side comparison. scrape vs shape
- 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.