ruhig

[ˈʁuːɪç]

/[ˈʁuːɪç]/ adj

The verdict

“ruhig” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #1,489 in German word frequency and used as an adjective.

#1,489
frequency rank, German
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
15
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - von der Arbeit rastend und damit frei von jeder Mühe und Beschäftigung

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

ruhig vs Ruhr
40% similar
ruhig vs Ruhm
40% similar
ruhig vs ruht
60% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for ruhig
PropertyValue
Headwordruhig
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[ˈʁuːɪç]
Letters5
Frequency rank#1,489
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs15
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ruhig” sits in German frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). ruhig lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for ruhig is 5 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈʁuːɪç]. Corpus data places it at rank #1,489 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for ruhig, with forms such as "rhuig", "rruhig", and "ruhgi". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 15 confusable-pair relationships, "Ruhr", "Ruhm", "ruht", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct German form is ruhig, spelled R-U-H-I-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    von der Arbeit rastend und damit frei von jeder Mühe und Beschäftigung
  2. 2
    frei von Bewegung
  3. 3
    frei von Leidenschaft, Aufregung, Erregung
  4. 4
    frei von Geräuschen oder Lärm
  5. 5
    unbekümmert, unbesorgt, getrost
  6. 6
    (Leben) ohne Stress, Sorge, Kummer und so weiter

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: rhuig,rruhig,ruhgi,ruhhig,ruhigg,ruihg,urhig

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of ruhig - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

rhuig2rruhig1ruhgi2ruhhig1ruhigg1ruihg2urhig2
Edit distance from "ruhig"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 German corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "ruhig"?
"ruhig" is spelled R-U-H-I-G. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈʁuːɪç].
What does "ruhig" mean?
As an adjective, "ruhig" means: von der Arbeit rastend und damit frei von jeder Mühe und Beschäftigung
What words are commonly confused with "ruhig"?
"ruhig" is commonly confused with "Ruhr", "Ruhm", "ruht". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "ruhig"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ruhig" is [ˈʁuːɪç]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "ruhig" come from?
"ruhig" is a German word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “ruhig”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct German spelling is R-U-H-I-G - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈʁuːɪç] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Ruhr” - see the side-by-side comparison. ruhig vs Ruhr
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list