strafe
/stɹeɪf/
"strafe" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“strafe” is uncommon English (frequency #87,869 among 54,294 “S” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- #87,869
- frequency rank, English
- 54,294
- “S” headwords
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To attack (ground targets) with automatic gunfire from a low-flying aircraft.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | strafe |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /stɹeɪf/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Frequency rank | #87,869 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “strafe” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
strafe is uncommon English at frequency #87,869 among 54,294 “S” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /stɹeɪf/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for strafe, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: From German strafe (“punish”) (a conjugated form of strafen), from phrases like Gott strafe England (“God punish England”) which the British saw during the First World War. The correct English form is strafe, spelled S-T-R-A-F-E.
Definition
- 1To attack (ground targets) with automatic gunfire from a low-flying aircraft.
- 2To rake (a target) with rapid or automatic gunfire.
- 3To reprimand severely.
- 4To sidestep; to move sideways without turning (a core mechanic of most first-person shooters).
Etymology
From German strafe (“punish”) (a conjugated form of strafen), from phrases like Gott strafe England (“God punish England”) which the British saw during the First World War.
This word in other languages
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
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Using “strafe”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is S-T-R-A-F-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /stɹeɪf/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Other uncommon English words near this rank
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.