scrape

/skɹeɪp/

//skɹeɪp// verb

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

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

The verdict

“scrape” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #17,236. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#17,236
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
15
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To draw (an object, especially a sharp or angular one), along (something) while exerting pressure.

Corpus desk

Index EN-scrape · scrape · English

scrape · rank #17,236 · 9 variants · 15 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #17,236
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 15 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH scattering

Nearest frequency peer: scattering (-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 “scrape”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “scrape” 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).

scrape vs shape
67% similar
scrape vs strap
67% similar
scrape vs Snape
50% similar

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

Key facts for scrape
PropertyValue
Headwordscrape
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/skɹeɪp/
Letters6
Frequency rank#17,236
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs15
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “scrape”

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).scrapelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “scattering” (#17,235), “scripted” (#17,237), “Sahara” (#17,234). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “scrape” is #17,236. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around scrape (IPA /skɹeɪp/), averb. Corpus frequency is #17,236 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 10 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

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

  1. 1
    To draw (an object, especially a sharp or angular one), along (something) while exerting pressure.
  2. 2
    To remove (something) by drawing an object along in this manner.
  3. 3
    To injure or damage by rubbing across a surface.
  4. 4
    To barely manage to achieve or attain.
  5. 5
    To collect or gather, especially without regard to the quality of what is chosen.
  6. 6
    To extract data by automated means from a format not intended to be machine-readable, such as a screenshot or a formatted web page.
  7. 7
    To occupy oneself with getting laboriously.
  8. 8
    To play awkwardly and inharmoniously on a violin or similar instrument.
  9. 9
    To draw back the right foot along the ground or floor when making a bow.
  10. 10
    To express disapprobation of (a play, etc.) or to silence (a speaker) by drawing the feet back and forth upon the floor; usually with down.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. She scraped the wooden plate with her fingernails.
  2. That car often scrapes the shallowest of humps because of its low ground clearance.

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”).

Synonyms

gratescratchcompare dragabradechafegraze

This word in other languages

raspar(Español)gratter(Français)abkratzen(Deutsch)arranhar(Português)

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.

csrape2scarpe2sccrape1scraep2scrappe1scrpae2scrrape1srcape2
Edit distance from "scrape"

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"?
"scrape" is spelled S-C-R-A-P-E. The IPA pronunciation is /skɹeɪp/.
What does "scrape" mean?
As a verb, "scrape" means: To draw (an object, especially a sharp or angular one), along (something) while exerting pressure.
What words are commonly confused with "scrape"?
"scrape" is commonly confused with "shape", "strap", "Snape". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "scrape"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "scrape" is /skɹeɪp/. 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 "scrape"?
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”). Cogn... 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 "scrape", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Sahara#17,234sherry#17,241retina#17,227smiley#17,247

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

strife9 variantstattooed9 variantswomens9 variantsominous9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list