output vs outrun, What's the Difference?

Which to use

“output” is a noun and “outrun” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#3,442
“output” frequency rank: #30,525
“outrun” frequency rank: 33967
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	output	outrun
Definition	That which is produced by something, especially that which is produced within a particular time period or from a particular effort.	To run faster than.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set output and outrun apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch

output

6 ch

outrun

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: output is /ˈaʊtpʊt/ while outrun is /ˈaʊtɹʌn/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 33967, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

output is recorded at frequency rank #3,442, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈaʊtpʊt/. outrun is at rank #30,525, tagged as averb, pronounced /ˈaʊtɹʌn/.

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 33967, this pair ranks #324,826 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of output vs outrun

Shared letters: otu. Private to "output": p. Private to "outrun": nr.

"output" · 6 letters · shape VVCCVC · "outrun" · 6 letters · shape VVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

output ← otuput · ouptut · outpput · outptu · outputt · outtput · outupt · uotput
outrun ← oturun · ourtun · outrnu · outrrun · outrunn · outtrun · outurn · uotrun

Frequency comparison

output#3,442

outrun#30,525

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "output" and "outrun" be used interchangeably?

No - they are not even the same part of speech. "output" is a noun and "outrun" a verb, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.

Which is more common, "output" or "outrun"?

"output" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,442 in our English list, against #30,525 for "outrun". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering output vs outrun

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “output”; for a verb, it's “outrun”.
See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “output” entry
Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable