Which to use
“Ruin” is a noun and “run” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #21,044
- “Ruin” frequency rank
- #8,773
- “run” frequency rank
- 29817
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Ruin | run |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Zustand des vollständigen finanziellen, gesundheitlichen oder moralischen Zusammenbruchs | sich schnell zu Fuß bewegen; rennen, eilen |
Where the eye mixes Ruin and run
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses Ruin with run
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: Ruin is [ʁuˈiːn] 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 (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 29817, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Ruin is recorded at frequency rank #21,044, classified as anoun, pronounced [ʁuˈiːn]. 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 29817, this pair ranks #1,759,716 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Ruin vs run
Shared letters: nru. Private to "Ruin": i. Private to "run": -.
"Ruin" · 4 letters · shape CVVC · "run" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- Ruin ← riun · rruin · ruinn · runi
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "Ruin" and "run" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "Ruin" vs "run" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "Ruin" 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 #1,759,716 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Ruin" and "run" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "RUB vs Ruin". 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 #1,759,716 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.