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Harass vs Harrass: Which Is Correct?

  • 5 min read

This one trips people up because the word looks like it wants more letters than it actually needs. The standard spelling is harass, and the common typo is harrass. If you remember only one thing, remember this: one R, two S.

Quick Answer

✅ Correct
harass HARASS (single r, double s)
❌ Incorrect
harrass HARRASS (double r is the mistake)

You’ll also see the same pattern in related forms like harassed and harassment.

  • Type: Verb
  • Core Idea: Persistent bothering/pressure
  • Common Trap: Adding an extra r
  • Letter Pattern: H-A-R-A-S-S

Table of Contents

Correct Spelling
Incorrect Spelling
Meaning and Usage
Word Family
Why The Extra “R”
Examples
Nearby Mix-Ups
FAQ

Correct Spelling: Harass

The correct spelling is harass. It has a single r and a double s. In reputable dictionaries, you’ll see it defined as persistently annoying or bothering someone in a repeated way.✅Source

Spelling Skeleton
h + a + r + a + s + s
What Must Stay True
1× r and 2× s, even when the ending changes.
What People Usually Change by Accident
They add an extra r and end up with harrass.
  • harass is the base form (verb).
  • harasses keeps the same core letters and adds -es.
  • harassed keeps the double s before -ed.
  • harassing keeps the double s before -ing.

Incorrect Spelling: Harrass

harrass is not a standard spelling. It’s a misspelling that usually happens when someone “hears” a strong r sound and assumes the word needs two r’s. The tricky part is that harass already has a double letter—just not the one people expect.

Typo Pattern: harass → harrass (extra r) often shows up alongside other variations like harrassed or harrassment.

Meaning and Usage

In everyday English, harass points to repeated pressure, ongoing bothering, or persistent unwanted behavior. It’s about something that happens again and again, not a one-time annoyance.

Common Contexts Where The Word Appears

  • Workplace language (policies, training, reporting channels)
  • Customer support logs (repeat messages, repeated contact)
  • School or community rules (ongoing teasing or targeting)
  • Everyday writing (emails, chat, notes)

The Noun Form: Harassment

harassment is the noun that names the behavior or the pattern. The spelling keeps the same core: one r, two s, plus -ment.✅Source

Because harassment is long, it’s one of the places the extra-r typo shows up the most.

Word Family and Forms

The core idea stays the same, but English swaps endings depending on tense or function. The spelling core stays harass, and the endings attach to it. Standard dictionary entries list the familiar inflections and related forms like harasses, harassed, harassing, and harassment.✅Source

Correct vs Incorrect Forms (Same Root, Different Endings)
Form What It Is Correct Common Wrong What To Notice
Base Verb Dictionary form ✅ harass ❌ harrass One r, two s
3rd Person Present tense ✅ harasses ❌ harrasses Double s stays
Past Past / past participle ✅ harassed ❌ harrassed The -ed attaches after the double s
Ongoing Present participle ✅ harassing ❌ harrasing The root still has one r
Noun Name of the behavior ✅ harassment ❌ harrassment Same core letters + -ment

Why The Extra “R” Happens

The misspelling harrass usually comes from a simple visual guess. English has plenty of common words where the r is doubled (think of patterns like embarrass), so the brain tries to “match” that shape. With harass, the doubling happens on the s, not the r.

  1. Sound vs Letters: the strong r sound can make the extra r feel “natural.”
  2. Double-Letter Expectation: writers expect the double to land on r, but the real double is s.
  3. Longer Forms Amplify It: words like harassment invite extra typos just because there are more places to slip.

If you’re scanning text fast, a quick visual check helps: ha-ra-ss is the built-in pattern. ha-rra-ss is the accidental one.

Examples In Sentences

Below are pairs you’ll see in real writing. The ✅ line shows the standard spelling harass. The ❌ line shows the common typo harrass.

✅ Correct
Please don’t harass the support team with repeated requests.
❌ Incorrect
Please don’t harrass the support team with repeated requests.
✅ Correct
The repeated messages harassed the inbox all afternoon.
❌ Incorrect
The repeated messages harrassed the inbox all afternoon.
✅ Correct
Constant pop-ups can feel harassing, even when the message is short.
❌ Incorrect
Constant pop-ups can feel harrasing, even when the message is short.
✅ Correct
Workplace harassment describes a repeated pattern, not a single awkward moment.
❌ Incorrect
Workplace harrassment describes a repeated pattern, not a single awkward moment.

Nearby Mix-Ups

harass and harassment often sit in the same “double-letter” category as other words people second-guess. The point isn’t that they’re all the same; it’s that your eyes can swap where the double letter belongs. With harass, the double stays on s, not r.

  • harass vs harrass
  • harassed vs harrassed
  • harassing vs harrasing
  • harassment vs harrassment
  • embarrass vs embarass
  • address vs adress

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Spelling Is Correct: Harass or Harrass?

The correct spelling is harass. The form harrass is a common typo.

Is Harrass Ever Acceptable In Standard English?

In standard dictionaries and edited writing, harrass is not treated as an accepted variant. You’ll see harass used instead.

How Many R’s And S’s Are In Harass?

harass has one r and two s. That’s the entire “math” of the word.

Is Harassment Spelled With Double R?

No. harassment keeps the same core as harass: one r, double s, then -ment.

Does American English Spell It Differently From British English?

The standard spelling is the same: harass. Differences you might notice are usually about pronunciation, not the letters.

What Are The Most Common Misspellings Besides Harrass?

The “extra r” typo often spreads into other forms, like harrassed, harrasing, and harrassment.