Which to use
“r” is a character and “run” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #449
- “r” frequency rank
- #309
- “run” frequency rank
- 758
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | r | run |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | The eighteenth letter of the English alphabet, called ar and written in the Latin script. | To move swiftly. |
Where the eye mixes r and run
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Visual trap between r and run
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: r is /ɑː(ɹ)/ while run is /ɹʌn/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “r” sits inside “run”, and the parts of speech differ too (character vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 758, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
r is recorded at frequency rank #449, classified as acharacter, pronounced /ɑː(ɹ)/. run is at rank #309, tagged as averb, pronounced /ɹʌn/.
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 758, this pair ranks #528,852 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of r vs run
Shared letters: r. Private to "r": -. Private to "run": nu.
"r" · 1 letters · shape C · "run" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "r" for "run" ever safe?
Frequency check: "r" vs "run" - 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 "r" 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 #528,852 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "r" and "run" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "r vs Rua". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #528,852 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.