outran

/ˌaʊtˈɹæn/

//ˌaʊtˈɹæn// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"outran" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“outran” is uncommon English (frequency #85,608 among 1,431 “O” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#85,608
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - simple past of outrun

Corpus desk

Index EN-outran · outran · English

outran · rank #85,608 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #85,608
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH overconsumpti…

Nearest frequency peer: overconsumption (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “outran”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “outran” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for outran
PropertyValue
Headwordoutran
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˌaʊtˈɹæn/
Letters6
Frequency rank#85,608
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “outran” in English

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “overconsumption” (#85,609), “ossification” (#85,606), “overgrazing” (#85,610). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “outran” is #85,608. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

outran is uncommon English at frequency #85,608 among 1,431 “O” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˌaʊtˈɹæn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "simple past of outrun".

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for outran, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

No documented word history exists for this headword, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct English form is outran, spelled O-U-T-R-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    simple past of outrun

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 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "outran"?
"outran" is spelled O-U-T-R-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌaʊtˈɹæn/.
What does "outran" mean?
As a verb, "outran" means: simple past of outrun
How do you pronounce "outran"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "outran" is /ˌaʊtˈɹæn/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "outran" come from?
"outran" is a English word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "outran", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

penton#85,635penury#85,636Narcan#85,560Ponton#85,658

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list