scrape · script

scrape /skreɪp/ vs script /skrɪpt/ — both start with /skr/, but the vowel shifts from the diphthong /eɪ/ (magic E) to the short /ɪ/ (closed syllable).

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⠿ reorder

verb — to drag something across a surface removing material — 'scrape the ice off the windscreen' · 'scrape your knee' · 'scrape together money'

mouth shape

diphthong /eɪ/ — the magic E makes the A long and gliding — mouth opens then glides to a smile — like 'grape', 'drape', 'tape'

scrape

/skreɪp/

vowel length

diphthong /eɪ/

⠿ reorder

A film script or screenplay document with text

noun — a written text for a film, play, or broadcast — 'film script' · 'read the script' · also: handwriting style — 'cursive script'

mouth shape

short /ɪ/ — tongue high and forward, mouth almost closed — no magic E — like 'trip', 'grip', 'drip' — ends in the cluster /pt/

script

/skrɪpt/

vowel length

short /ɪ/

Magic E spotlight — same /skr/ start, different vowel

scrape

/skreɪp/

silent E makes /æ/ → /eɪ/

≠

script

/skrɪpt/

closed syllable — short /ɪ/

Key difference

Both start with /skr/. In scrape, the silent E at the end triggers the magic-E rule: the vowel becomes the diphthong /eɪ/(like “grape” or “tape”). In script, the syllable is closed by two consonants (-pt), so the vowel stays short: /ɪ/(like “trip”).

Example sentences

scrape:“She had to scrape the ice off her car this morning.”

scrape:“He managed to scrape together enough money for the ticket.”

script:“The actor had not read the script before the audition.”

script:“She writes in a beautiful cursive script.”

Hear it in a sentence

“She managed to scrape together enough money for the deposit.”

“He memorised the entire script in just four days.”

Hear it in the wild

Real speech from native speakers — the most reliable way to check a pronunciation, since automated audio can vary by device and browser.

YouGlish↗

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