Which to use
“ruby” and “runs” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #7,386
- “ruby” frequency rank
- #1,535
- “runs” frequency rank
- 8921
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ruby | runs |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A clear, deep, red variety of corundum, valued as a precious stone. | plural of run |
Where the eye mixes ruby and runs
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses ruby with runs
A purely visual mix-up. ruby (/ˈɹuː.bi/) 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 8921, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ruby is recorded at frequency rank #7,386, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈɹuː.bi/. runs is at rank #1,535, tagged as anoun, 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 8921, this pair ranks #500,007 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of ruby vs runs
Shared letters: ru. Private to "ruby": by. Private to "runs": ns.
"ruby" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "runs" · 4 letters · shape CVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "ruby" for "runs" ever safe?
Frequency check: "ruby" vs "runs" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "ruby" 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 #500,007 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ruby" and "runs" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Rua vs ruby". 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 #500,007 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.