rufevsrunsWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“rufe” and “runs” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#6,967
“rufe” frequency rank
#40,182
“runs” frequency rank
47149
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature rufe runs
Definition 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs rufen 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs run

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set rufe and runs apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch
rufe
4 ch
runs

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. rufe ([ˈʁuːfə]) and runs ([ɹʌnz]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 47149, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

rufe is recorded at frequency rank #6,967, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈʁuːfə]. runs is at rank #40,182, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɹʌnz].

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 47149, this pair ranks #1,294,487 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of rufe vs runs

Shared letters: ru. Private to "rufe": ef. Private to "runs": ns.

"rufe" · 4 letters · shape CVCV  ·  "runs" · 4 letters · shape CVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • ruferfue · rrufe · ruef · ruffe · urfe
  • runsrnus · rruns · runns · runss · rusn · urns

Frequency comparison

rufe#6,967
runs#40,182

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "rufe" and "runs" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʁuːfə] versus [ɹʌnz]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "rufe" or "runs"?
"rufe" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #6,967 in our German list, against #40,182 for "runs". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering rufe vs runs

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “rufe” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list