run
/ɹʌn/
"run" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“run” sits in 20 confusable pairs (corpus #309) as a verb. The look-alike neighbours are the real trap.
- #309
- frequency rank, English
- 3,094
- “R” headwords
- 20
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To move swiftly.
Corpus desk
Index EN-run · run · English
run · rank #309 · 0 variants · 20 confusables
- FREQ-CORE #309
- LEN-MID 3 letters
- VOW-1 1 vowel
- CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-MID 3,094
- PHOTO-FINISH party
Nearest frequency peer: party (-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.
Frequency neighbourhood for “run”
Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)
- line
line
99,695 corpus weight
- order
order
99,694 corpus weight
- party
party
99,693 corpus weight
- run
run
99,692 corpus weight
- says
says
99,691 corpus weight
- service
service
99,690 corpus weight
What this shows Bars show where “run” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | run |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /ɹʌn/ |
| Letters | 3 |
| Frequency rank | #309 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 20 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “run” sits in English frequency
Easy to mix with look-alikes
The spelling risk for run is neighbouring look-alikes ("RV", "RW", …), not just typos; it is averb pronounced /ɹʌn/. Frequency #309 among 3,094 “R” headwords. 63 recorded senses keep meaning in play.
Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for run, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "RV", "RW", "rye", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.
Etymologically, the entry records: 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 (“… The correct English form is run, spelled R-U-N.
Definition
- 1To move swiftly.
- 2To move swiftly.
- 3To move swiftly.
- 4To move swiftly.
- 5To move swiftly.
- 6To move swiftly.
- 7To move swiftly.
- 8To move swiftly.
- 9To move swiftly.
- 10To move swiftly.
- 11To move swiftly.
- 12To move swiftly.
- 13To move swiftly.
- 14To move swiftly.
- 15To move swiftly.
- 16To move swiftly.
- 17To flow.
- 18To flow.
- 19To flow.
- 20To flow.
- 21To flow.
- 22To flow.
- 23To flow.
- 24To sail before the wind, in distinction from reaching or sailing close-hauled.
- 25To control or manage; to be in charge of.
- 26To be a candidate in an election.
- 27To make participate in certain kinds of competitions.
- 28To make participate in certain kinds of competitions.
- 29To exert continuous activity; to proceed.
- 30To be presented in the media.
- 31To print or broadcast in the media.
- 32To smuggle (illegal goods).
- 33To sort through a large volume of produce in quality control.
- 34To extend or persist, statically or dynamically, through space or time.
- 35To extend or persist, statically or dynamically, through space or time.
- 36To extend or persist, statically or dynamically, through space or time.
- 37To extend or persist, statically or dynamically, through space or time.
- 38To extend or persist, statically or dynamically, through space or time.
- 39To execute or carry out a plan, procedure, or program.
- 40To pass or go quickly in thought or conversation.
- 41To become different in a way mentioned (usually to become worse).
- 42To cost an amount of money.
- 43Of stitches or stitched clothing, to unravel.
- 44To cause stitched clothing to unravel.
- 45To pursue in thought; to carry in contemplation.
- 46To cause to enter; to thrust.
- 47To drive or force; to cause, or permit, to be driven.
- 48To cause to be drawn; to mark out; to indicate; to determine.
- 49To encounter or incur (a danger or risk).
- 50To put at hazard; to venture; to risk.
- 51To tease with sarcasms and ridicule.
- 52To sew (a seam) by passing the needle through material in a continuous line, generally taking a series of stitches on the needle at the same time.
- 53To control or have precedence in a card game.
- 54To be in form thus, as a combination of words.
- 55To be popularly known; to be generally received.
- 56To have growth or development.
- 57To tend, as to an effect or consequence; to incline.
- 58To have a legal course; to be attached; to continue in force, effect, or operation; to follow; to go in company.
- 59To encounter or suffer (a particular, usually bad, fate or misfortune).
- 60To strike (the ball) in such a way as to cause it to run along the ground, as when approaching a hole.
- 61To speedrun.
- 62To eject from a game or match.
- 63To press (a bank, etc.) with immediate demands for payment.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how run appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
Run, and you might still catch the train!
Through the open front door ran Jessamy, down the steps to where Kitto was sitting at the bottom with the pram beside him.
Etymology
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”). Cognate with Scots rin (“to run”), West Frisian rinne (“to walk, march”), archaic Dutch rinnen (“to flow”, still in geronnen), German rinnen (“to flow”), Swedish rinna (“to flow”), and Icelandic renna (“to flow”). From the causative Proto-Germanic *rannijaną (“to make run”) are Dutch rennen, German rennen, Danish rende, Swedish ränna (all “to run”). Non-Germanic cognates include Albanian rend (“to run, run after”). See also random.
This word in other languages
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.
PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Similar English words by spelling shape
Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "run", not the corpus desk frequency band.
What to do next
You've looked up "run". Here's where to go from here.
- "run" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "RV". View pair
- Usage frequency rank #309 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
- Browse more English words in the "R" letter cohort. R–Z browse
- PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day
PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.