Which to use
“rein” is an adjective and “run” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #605
- “rein” frequency rank
- #8,773
- “run” frequency rank
- 9378
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | rein | run |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | ganz unverschmutzt | sich schnell zu Fuß bewegen; rennen, eilen |
Where the eye mixes rein and run
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: rein vs run
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: rein is [ʁaɪ̯n] while run is [rʌn]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 9378, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
rein is recorded at frequency rank #605, classified as anadj, pronounced [ʁaɪ̯n]. run is at rank #8,773, tagged as averb, pronounced [rʌn].
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 9378, this pair ranks #1,980,231 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of rein vs run
Shared letters: nr. Private to "rein": ei. Private to "run": u.
"rein" · 4 letters · shape CVVC · "run" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- rein ← reinn · reni · rien · rrein
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "rein" and "run" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "rein" vs "run" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "rein" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "run" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,980,231 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "rein" and "run" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "RUB vs run". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,980,231 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.