ruin

/ˈɹuː.ɪn/

//ˈɹuː.ɪn// noun

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

"ruin" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“ruin” has 5 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #4,265. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#4,265
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The remains of a destroyed or dilapidated construction, such as a house or castle.

Corpus desk

Index EN-ruin · ruin · English

ruin · rank #4,265 · 5 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #4,265
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 5 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH rocket

Nearest frequency peer: rocket (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “ruin”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “ruin” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

ruin vs run
75% similar
ruin vs rum
50% similar
ruin vs rut
50% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for ruin
PropertyValue
Headwordruin
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹuː.ɪn/
Letters4
Frequency rank#4,265
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “ruin”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).ruinlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “rocket” (#4,264), “Saudi” (#4,266), “restrictions” (#4,263). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “ruin” is #4,265. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 5 spelling variants around ruin (IPA /ˈɹuː.ɪn/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #4,265 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for ruin, with forms such as "riun", "rruin", and "ruinn". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "run", "rum", "rut", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English ruyne, ruine, from Old French ruine, from Latin ruīna (“overthrow, ruin”), from ruō (“to fall down, tumble, sink in ruin, rush”). The correct English form is ruin, spelled R-U-I-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The remains of a destroyed or dilapidated construction, such as a house or castle.
  2. 2
    The state of being a ruin, destroyed or decayed.
  3. 3
    Something that leads to serious trouble or destruction.
  4. 4
    The act of ruining something.
  5. 5
    The act of ruining something.
  6. 6
    A fall or tumble.
  7. 7
    A change that destroys or defeats something; destruction; overthrow.
  8. 8
    Complete financial loss; bankruptcy.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how ruin appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The Veian and the Gabian towirs shall fall, / And one promiscuous ruin cover all; / Nor, after length of years, a stone betray / The place where once the very ruins lay.
  2. The labour of a day will not build up a virtuous habit on the ruins of an old and vicious character.

Etymology

From Middle English ruyne, ruine, from Old French ruine, from Latin ruīna (“overthrow, ruin”), from ruō (“to fall down, tumble, sink in ruin, rush”).

This word in other languages

ruina(Español)ruine(Français)Ruine(Deutsch)ruína(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • riun
  • rruin
  • ruinn
  • runi
  • urin

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of ruin - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

riun2rruin1ruinn1runi2urin2
Edit distance from "ruin"

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 "ruin"?
"ruin" is spelled R-U-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹuː.ɪn/.
What does "ruin" mean?
As a noun, "ruin" means: The remains of a destroyed or dilapidated construction, such as a house or castle.
What words are commonly confused with "ruin"?
"ruin" is commonly confused with "run", "rum", "rut". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "ruin"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ruin" is /ˈɹuː.ɪn/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "ruin"?
From Middle English ruyne, ruine, from Old French ruine, from Latin ruīna (“overthrow, ruin”), from ruō (“to fall down, tumble, sink in ruin, rush”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
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 "ruin", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

sean#4,267mask#4,251jazz#4,244cape#4,289

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (5 here; floor ≥5).

mouse5 variantsbite5 variantsalien5 variantsbeef5 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list