Rake (noun) refers to a garden tool with a broad, often serrated head pulled toward the user to collect leaves or smooth soil. It can also denote a debauched, pleasure-seeking person in historical or literary contexts. In everyday speech, it designates the tool or a metaphorical sharp, sweeping action. The term is concise, concrete, and context-dependent, with usage spanning domestic, literary, and historical registers.
Tip: Record yourself saying several phrases: “garden rake,” “rake in money” (figurative), and “the rake is sharp.” Compare with trusted sources and adjust the glide to a clean /eɪ/ before the /k/.
US: clear, quick /eɪ/; non-rhotic features do not apply for /r/ here, but surrounding consonants influence rhythm. UK: crisper onset, tighter jaw and lip posture; slight reduction in vowel duration in fast speech. AU: similar to US but often with a broader vowel and slightly more relaxed articulation; keep the diphthong intact. IPA references: /reɪk/ across all. Specific tips: exaggerate the initial /r/ onset lightly (without rhoticity for this word) and then glide into /eɪ/. Maintain open mid-vowel height, avoid nasalization or devoicing of final /k/.
"He used a metal rake to gather autumn leaves in the yard."
"A social rake in Victorian novels is often portrayed as charming but morally lax."
"The gardener laid the rake across the path as he cleaned up."
"The rake of the roof caused water to run off during the storm."
Rake originates from Middle English rakken, from Old Norse rakka meaning ‘to drag or draw,’ with related forms in Germanic languages. The word began as a literal tool name in medieval agriculture and gradually acquired figurative senses, especially the moral critique implied by a roguish, libertine man in literature of the 17th–18th centuries. By the 19th century, rake carried connotations of ostentation and debauchery in novels and social commentary, expanding into modern idioms such as “to rake in money.” The “rake” tool itself shares a lineage with other splayed-headed implements designed for surface finishing or leaf gathering, reflecting a common agricultural vocabulary that evolves into broader cultural meanings. First known uses appear in Middle English texts, with variances in spelling (rakke, rake) across regional dialects that eventually standardized in Early Modern English. The evolution shows a clear shift from tangible instrument to symbolic representation of sweeping behavior and morally lax conduct, a trajectory familiar in many agricultural tools that acquire social metaphor over time.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Rake" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Rake" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Rake"
-ake sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Rake is pronounced as /reɪk/, with a long A vowel. The lips are neutral-facing, the tongue high-mid in the front region, and the jaw slightly dropped to start the diphthong /eɪ/ transitioning into the /k/ consonant release. Primary stress is on the single syllable. For reference, think ‘r-eight’ without the ‘t’ sound; you’ll hear a clean, quick glide from /eɪ/ to /k/. In audio dictionaries, listen for a steady /reɪk/ with no trailing vowel.
Common errors include pronouncing it as /rek/ with a short breathy /e/ or confusing it with /ræ/ as in ‘rack.’ To correct, ensure the mouth forms a smooth /eɪ/ diphthong: start with a mid-front vowel /e/ then glide to /ɪ/ or /ɪ̈/ into the /k/ release. Avoid adding extra vowel length after the /k/. Keep the lips relaxed and neutral, and avoid rounding the lips, which can dull the /eɪ/ glide.
Across US, UK, and AU, /reɪk/ remains the core; differences are subtle: US tends toward a clearer, faster /eɪ/ diphthong with a slightly compressed vowel; UK may present a crisper, more centralized onset and a tensed /eɪ/; AU generally mirrors US but with a slightly broader vowel height, and less rhotic influence doesn’t apply here as /r/ is not present. The main variation is in surrounding vowels and rhythm, not the core /reɪk/ sequence.
The challenge lies mainly in the /eɪ/ diphthong and the final /k/ release, which requires precise tongue positioning and a clean stop. Beginners often shorten /eɪ/ to /e/ or precede it with a schwa, producing /rək/ or /rek/. You’ll hear tension if you close the jaw too early before the /k/ or add post-release voicing. Practicing the glide from /e/ to /ɪ/ and isolating the /k/ release helps stabilize the sound.
Although ‘rake’ lacks silent letters, the challenge is ensuring that the /eɪ/ vowel stays a diphthong and not a long monophthong. Also, when embedded in rapid speech, you may unintentionally lengthen the vowel, turning /reɪk/ into /reɪkː/. Keep the vowel brief and the release clean, and practice with quick, high-energy phrases to lock in the exact timing of onset and release.
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