# rune

> English word · Noun · IPA /ɹuːn/ · frequency rank #28,704

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

## Easily confused with
- **rye** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rune-vs-rye)
- **rut** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rune-vs-rut)
- **Rus** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rune-vs-rus)
- **runs** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rune-vs-runs)
- **rush** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rune-vs-rush)
- **ruth** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rune-vs-ruth)
- **rust** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rune-vs-rust)
- **Russ** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rune-vs-russ)
- **rung** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rune-vs-rung)
- **ruse** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rune-vs-ruse)
- **rusk** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rune-vs-rusk)
- **Ryde** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rune-vs-ryde)
- **rupee** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rune-vs-rupee)
- **runny** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rune-vs-runny)
- **runner** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rune-vs-runner)
- **re** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/re-vs-rune)
- **RN** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rn-vs-rune)
- **run** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/run-vs-rune)
- **ran** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ran-vs-rune)
- **Ron** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ron-vs-rune)

## Common misspellings (5)
`rnue`, `rrune`, `ruen`, `runne`, `urne`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/rune