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PlainSpell

run

/ɹʌn/verb, noun, adjective

run is spelled R-U-N: 3 letters and one syllable. It appears 309 times per million words in written English, the 306th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, run means “To move forward quickly upon two feet by alternately making a short jump off either foot” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in run?

Letters3: R-U-N
Syllables1 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing309 times per million words; the 306th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search
Rhymes with
Same letters

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); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.

How common is run?

Run appears 309 times per million words in written English, the 306th 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 run?

  • US /ɹʌn/
  • /ɹʊn/
  • /ɾʌn/

Run 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: En-us-run.ogg, En-run.ogg, En-au-run.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

What rhymes with run?

9 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as run from its last stressed vowel (/ʌn/):

Spelled with the same letters in another order: urn.

Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).

Forms of run

  • runs present, singular, he/she/it, plural
  • running participle, present
  • ran past, singular, he/she/it, plural

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

What does run mean?

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

verb

  1. 1

    To move forward quickly upon two feet by alternately making a short jump off either foot.

    Run, and you might still catch the train!

  2. 2

    To go at a fast pace; to move quickly.

    I have been running all over the building looking for him.

  3. 3

    To cover (a course or a distance) by running.

    I can run a mile, but I can't run the cross-country course.

  4. 4

    To complete a running course or event in (a given time).

    I was hoping to make the team, but I didn't run the qualifying time.

  5. 5

    To move briskly or smoothly with a motion of sliding, rolling, sweeping etc.

    The shuttle runs back and forth on these rollers.

  6. 6

    To cause to move quickly or lightly.

    Every day I run my dog across the field and back.

  7. 7

    To compete in a race.

    The horse will run in the Preakness next year.

  8. 8

    To transport (someone or something), notionally at a brisk pace.

    Could you run me over to the store?

  9. 9

    past participle of rin (a form of rin)

noun

  1. 1

    Act or instance of running, of moving rapidly using the feet.

    I just got back from my morning run.

  2. 2

    Act or instance of hurrying (to or from a place) (not necessarily on foot); dash or errand, trip.

    I need to make a run to the store.

  3. 3

    A pleasure trip.

    Let's go for a run in the car.

  4. 4

    Flight, instance or period of fleeing.

  5. 5

    Migration of fish.

  6. 6

    A group of fish that migrate, or ascend a river for the purpose of spawning.

  7. 7

    A (regular) trip or route.

    The bus on the Cherry Street run is always crowded.

  8. 8

    The route taken while running or skiing.

    Which run did you do today?

adjective

  1. 1

    In a liquid state; melted or molten.

    Put some run butter on the vegetables.

  2. 2

    Cast in a mould.

    Vast quantities are cast in sand moulds, with that kind of run steel which is so largely used in the production of common table-knives and forks.

  3. 3

    Exhausted; depleted (especially with "down" or "out").

  4. 4

    Travelled, migrated; having made a migration or a spawning run.

  5. 5

    Smuggled.

    run brandy

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

Run in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchcourir (to move quickly on two feet), s'écouler, couler (to flow), marcher (of a machine, to be operating normally), griller (to pass without stopping or yielding), parcours (route taken while running)
Germanrennen, laufen (to move quickly on two feet), umlaufen, umgehen (to move or spread quickly), laufen lassen (to cause to move quickly), Lauf (act of running)
Portuguesecorrer (to move quickly on two feet), corrida (act of running), dirigir, gerir (to be in charge of), partida (video games: playthrough, session of play), tiragem (production quantity)
Spanishcorrer, apeonar (to move quickly on two feet), andar, marchar, rular (of a machine, to be operating normally), partida (video games: playthrough, session of play)

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 run come from?

From Middle English runnen, rennen (“to run”), alteration (due to the past participle runne, runnen, yronne) of Middle English rinnen (“to run”), from Old English rinnan, iernan (“to run”) and Old Norse rinna (“to run”), both from Proto-Germanic *rinnaną (“to run”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reyH- (“to boil, churn”).

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

What to look up after run