rung

/ɹʌŋ/

//ɹʌŋ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“rung” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #22,497 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#22,497
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A crosspiece forming a step of a ladder; a round.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

rung vs rut
50% similar
rung vs Rus
25% similar
rung vs runs
75% similar

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

Key facts for rung
PropertyValue
Headwordrung
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɹʌŋ/
Letters4
Frequency rank#22,497
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “rung” 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). rung 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 rung is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɹʌŋ/. Corpus data places it at rank #22,497 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 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for rung, with forms such as "rnug", "rrung", and "rugn". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "rut", "Rus", "runs", 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 rung, from Old English hrung, from Proto-West Germanic *hrungu, from Proto-Germanic *hrungō. Cognate with Dutch rong (“pole, stanchion”), German Runge (“stake, pole, stanchion”), Gothic 𐌷𐍂𐌿𐌲𐌲𐌰 (hrugga, “a staff”). The correct English form is rung, spelled R-U-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    A crosspiece forming a step of a ladder; a round.
  2. 2
    A crosspiece between legs of a chair.
  3. 3
    A position in a hierarchy.
  4. 4
    A floor timber in a ship.
  5. 5
    One of the stakes of a cart; a spar; a heavy staff.
  6. 6
    One of the radial handles projecting from the rim of a steering wheel.
  7. 7
    One of the pins or trundles of a lantern wheel.

Etymology

From Middle English rung, from Old English hrung, from Proto-West Germanic *hrungu, from Proto-Germanic *hrungō. Cognate with Dutch rong (“pole, stanchion”), German Runge (“stake, pole, stanchion”), Gothic 𐌷𐍂𐌿𐌲𐌲𐌰 (hrugga, “a staff”).

This word in other languages

peldaño(Español)barreau(Français)Sprosse(Deutsch)degrau(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: rnug,rrung,rugn,rungg,runng,urng

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of rung - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

rnug2rrung1rugn2rungg1runng1urng2
Edit distance from "rung"

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 "rung"?
"rung" is spelled R-U-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹʌŋ/.
What does "rung" mean?
As a noun, "rung" means: A crosspiece forming a step of a ladder; a round.
What words are commonly confused with "rung"?
"rung" is commonly confused with "rut", "Rus", "runs". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "rung"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "rung" is /ɹʌŋ/. 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 "rung"?
From Middle English rung, from Old English hrung, from Proto-West Germanic *hrungu, from Proto-Germanic *hrungō. Cognate with Dutch rong (“pole, stanchion”), German Runge (“stake, pole, stanchion”), Gothic 𐌷𐍂𐌿𐌲𐌲𐌰 (hrugga, “a staff”). 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 “rung”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is R-U-N-G - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɹʌŋ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “rut” - see the side-by-side comparison. rung vs rut
  • 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