Which to use
“ruft” and “runs” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,318
- “ruft” frequency rank
- #40,182
- “runs” frequency rank
- 42500
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ruft | runs |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs rufen | 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs run |
Where the eye mixes ruft and runs
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: ruft vs runs
A purely visual mix-up. ruft ([ʁuːft]) 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 42500, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ruft is recorded at frequency rank #2,318, classified as averb, pronounced [ʁuːft]. 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 42500, this pair ranks #1,447,387 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of ruft vs runs
Shared letters: ru. Private to "ruft": ft. Private to "runs": ns.
"ruft" · 4 letters · shape CVCC · "runs" · 4 letters · shape CVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "ruft" for "runs" ever safe?
Frequency check: "ruft" vs "runs" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "ruft" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "runs" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,447,387 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ruft" and "runs" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "RUB vs runs". 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 #1,447,387 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.