rune

/ɹuːn/

//ɹuːn// noun

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

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

The verdict

“rune” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #28,704 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#28,704
frequency rank, English
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A letter, or character, used in the written language of various ancient Germanic peoples, especially the Scandinavians and the Anglo-Saxons.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

rune vs rye
50% similar
rune vs rut
50% similar
rune vs Rus
25% similar

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

Key facts for rune
PropertyValue
Headwordrune
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɹuːn/
Letters4
Frequency rank#28,704
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “rune” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for rune is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɹuːn/. Corpus data places it at rank #28,704 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for rune, with forms such as "rnue", "rrune", and "ruen". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "rye", "rut", "Rus", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Old Norse rún, which is from Proto-Germanic *rūnō (“letter, literature, secret”), which is borrowed either from Proto-Celtic *rūnā or from the same source as it; compare Dutch rune, German Rune, Raune, Danish rune and Swedish runa. Compare rou… The correct English form is rune, spelled R-U-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A letter, or character, used in the written language of various ancient Germanic peoples, especially the Scandinavians and the Anglo-Saxons.
  2. 2
    Any visually similar script, such as Hungarian runes (the Old Hungarian script) or Turkic runes (the Old Turkic script).
  3. 3
    A Finnic or Scandinavian epic poem, or a division of one, especially a division of the Kalevala.
  4. 4
    A letter or mark used as a mystical or magic symbol.
  5. 5
    A verse or song, especially one with mystical or mysterious overtones; a spell or an incantation.
  6. 6
    Alternative form of roun (“secret or mystery”).
  7. 7
    A Unicode code point.

Etymology

Borrowed from Old Norse rún, which is from Proto-Germanic *rūnō (“letter, literature, secret”), which is borrowed either from Proto-Celtic *rūnā or from the same source as it; compare Dutch rune, German Rune, Raune, Danish rune and Swedish runa. Compare roun. ; Finnic epic poem ; "code point"

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: rnue,rrune,ruen,runne,urne

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of rune - 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.

rnue2rrune1ruen2runne1urne2
Edit distance from "rune"

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 "rune"?
"rune" is spelled R-U-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹuːn/.
What does "rune" mean?
As a noun, "rune" means: A letter, or character, used in the written language of various ancient Germanic peoples, especially the Scandinavians and the Anglo-Saxons.
What words are commonly confused with "rune"?
"rune" is commonly confused with "rye", "rut", "Rus". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "rune"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "rune" is /ɹuːn/. 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 "rune"?
Borrowed from Old Norse rún, which is from Proto-Germanic *rūnō (“letter, literature, secret”), which is borrowed either from Proto-Celtic *rūnā or from the same source as it; compare Dutch rune, German Rune, Raune, Danish rune and Swedish runa. C... 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.

Using “rune”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is R-U-N-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɹuːn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “rye” - see the side-by-side comparison. rune vs rye
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list