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ruff

/ɹəf/noun, verb, interjection

ruff is spelled R-U-F-F: 4 letters and one syllable. It appears 1.1 times per million words in written English, the 27,150th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). People search “rough vs ruff” about 390 times a month (Google, United States). As a noun, ruff means “A circular frill or ruffle on a garment, especially a starched, fluted frill at the neck in Elizabethan and Jacobean England (1560s–1620s)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of ruff is ruffs.

How many letters and syllables are in ruff?

Letters4: R-U-F-F
Syllables1 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing1.1 times per million words; the 27,150th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search
Pairs people search
Sounds like

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026).

How common is ruff?

Ruff appears 1.1 times per million words in written English, the 27,150th most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce ruff?

  • UK /ɹʌf/
  • US /ɹəf/
  • Australia /ɹɐf/

Ruff has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-ruff.wav, En-us-rough.ogg, En-us-rough.oga, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Words people confuse with ruff

Word pairs people search, with the monthly searches for “a vs b” (G: Google, B: Bing, United States).

rough vs ruff390 G

Sounds like: rough, ruffe (Wiktionary's homophone list; some hold only in some accents).

Also written: rough.

Sources: Google and Bing searches (September 2025 to August 2026, through DataForSEO); English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).

Forms of ruff

  • ruffs plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • ruffing participle, present
  • ruffed participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does ruff mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    A circular frill or ruffle on a garment, especially a starched, fluted frill at the neck in Elizabethan and Jacobean England (1560s–1620s).

  2. 2

    Anything formed with plaits or flutings like a frill.

  3. 3

    A gregarious, medium-sized wading bird of species Calidris pugnax (syn. Philomachus pugnax), of Eurasia; specifically, a male of the species which develops a distinctive ruff of feathers and ear tufts during mating season (the female is called a reeve).

  4. 4

    A set of lengthened or otherwise modified feathers on or around the neck of a bird.

  5. 5

    A collar of lengthened or distinctively coloured fur on or around the neck of an animal.

  6. 6

    A collar on a shaft or other piece to prevent endwise motion.

  7. 7

    obsoleteAn exhibition of haughtiness or pride.

  8. 8

    obsoleteTumultuous or wanton conduct or procedure.

  9. 9

    Alternative spelling of ruffe: a small freshwater fish of the genus Gymnocephalus; specifically a Eurasian ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernua or Gymnocephalus cernuus) which has spiny fins; the pope.

  10. 10

    A fish of species Arripis georgianus, found in cool waters off the southern coast of Australia

  11. 11

    obsoleteA bottom-dwelling carnivorous fish of the family Sparidae found in temperate and tropical waters; a porgy or sea bream.

  12. 12

    An instance of ruffing, or an opportunity to ruff, when unable to follow suit.

  13. 13

    obsoleteA game similar to whist and its predecessor.

  14. 14

    A low, vibrating beat of a drum, quieter than a roll; a ruffle.

verb

  1. 1

    To shape (fabric, etc.) into a ruff; to adorn (a garment, etc.) with a ruff.

  2. 2

    Of a falcon, hawk, etc.: to hit (the prey) without fixing or grabbing hold of it.

  3. 3

    rareTo ruffle; to disorder.

  4. 4

    obsoleteOf a bird: to ruffle its feathers.

  5. 5

    obsoleteTo boast, to brag.

  6. 6

    obsoleteTo speak in a loud and domineering manner; to bluster, to swagger.

  7. 7

    To play a trump card to a trick when unable to follow suit (that is, when unable to play a card of the same suit as the previous or leading card).

  8. 8

    Especially in the form ruff out: to defeat (a card, etc.) by ruffing, thus establishing the master card in the suit led.

  9. 9

    To beat a ruff or ruffle, as on a drum.

  10. 10

    Of a drum, etc.: to have a ruff or ruffle beaten on it.

interjection

  1. 1

    The bark of a dog; arf, woof.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Ruff in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchfraise (circular frill or ruffle on a garment), combattant varié (Philomachus pugnax), crinière (collar of fur on or around the neck of an animal)
GermanHalskrause (circular frill or ruffle on a garment), Kampfläufer (Philomachus pugnax)
Portugueserufo (circular frill or ruffle on a garment)
Spanishlechuguilla, gorguera (circular frill or ruffle on a garment), combatiente (Philomachus pugnax)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does ruff come from?

Clipping of ruffle, or possibly from rough.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after ruff