‘Rack’ and ‘wrack’ sound the same, but do they mean the same thing? The answer to this, confusingly, depends on both what you intend and how pedantic you’re feeling. But if you check out our guide below, you should be able to use both words in your writing with confidence.
Rack (Strain and Storage)
The word ‘rack’ originally referred to a framework used to stretch something out. The most obvious example of this in modern usage is the medieval torture device called a ‘rack’:
He spent three days on the rack before he confessed.
The original verb form of ‘rack’ also meant ‘stretch out’ or ‘torture on a rack’. And the torture link here gave rise to our modern version of the word, which means ‘strain’ or ‘cause distress’:
I racked my mind for her name, but I couldn’t remember.
Here, for instance, the speaker is not saying they put their mind on a medieval torture device. But they are using the idea of ‘stretching’ to suggest straining to remember a name.
We can trace a different modern use of ‘rack’ to its origins as a ‘framework’, too. This is when we use ‘rack’ as a noun to mean ‘a framework used for storing something’, such as a ‘spice rack’.
Wrack (Shipwrecks and Storms)
The word ‘wrack’ comes from an old-fashioned word meaning ‘shipwreck’. This is why we see it in phrases associated with dangerous seas, such as ‘storm-wracked’ and ‘wrack and ruin’:
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The sailors gazed up at the storm-wracked sky.
This may even explain why people often confuse ‘wrack’ and ‘rack’, as both have associations with destruction or distress. In fact, these terms have been confused so often that most dictionaries now list ‘wrack’ as an alternative spelling for the verb form of ‘rack’, meaning ‘cause distress’:
I wracked my mind for her name, but I couldn’t remember.
The sentence above, for instance, means exactly the same as the version with ‘racked’ in it. And while some people still consider this incorrect, it is increasingly accepted.
Summary: Rack or Wrack?
If you’re looking for a verb that means ‘strain or cause distress’, you can use either ‘rack’ or the variant spelling ‘wrack’. In all other cases, though, these words have different meanings:
- If you need a noun that refers to a frame used for storing something, or a medieval torture device, the correct spelling will always be rack.
- Wrack is an old-fashioned word for a shipwreck, most commonly used in the phrases ‘wrack and ruin’ and ‘storm-wracked’.
As such, the only time you will need to use ‘wrack’ is when using the phrases above. In non-nautical situations, meanwhile, you can always use ‘rack’ and know that you have the correct spelling.