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PlainSpell

runner

run·ner/ˈɹʌnɚ/noun

runner is spelled R-U-N-N-E-R: 6 letters and 2 syllables (run·ner). It appears 15 times per million words in written English, the 5,309th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, runner means “A person who moves, on foot, at a fast pace, especially an athlete” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of runner is runners.

How many letters and syllables are in runner?

Letters6: R-U-N-N-E-R
Syllables2: run·ner
In writing15 times per million words; the 5,309th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search
Rhymes with

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; 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 runner?

Runner appears 15 times per million words in written English, the 5,309th 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 runner?

  • US /ˈɹʌnɚ/
  • UK /ˈɹʌnə/
  • /ˈɹʊnə/

Runner has 2 syllables, split run·ner in writing.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-runner.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

What rhymes with runner?

One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as runner from its last stressed vowel (/ʌnəɹ/):

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 runner

  • runners plural

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

What does runner mean?

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

noun

  1. 1

    A person who moves, on foot, at a fast pace, especially an athlete.

    The first runner to cross the finish line wins the race.

  2. 2

    Any entrant, person or animal (especially a horse), for a race or any competition; a candidate for an election.

    The mare is the stables' runner for the 5.15 race at Epsom.

  3. 3

    slangA competitor in a poker tournament.

  4. 4

    Somebody who controls or manages (e.g. a system).

  5. 5

    A person or vessel that runs blockades or engages in smuggling.

    The gunrunners were arrested leaving the airport.

  6. 6

    A player who runs for a batsman who is too injured to run; he is dressed exactly as the injured batsman, and carries a bat.

  7. 7

    A baserunner.

    The runner was out at second.

  8. 8

    A person (from one or the other team) who runs out onto the field during the game to take verbal instructions from the coach to the players. A runner mustn't interfere with play, and may have to wear an identifying shirt to make clear his or her purpose on the field.

noun

as Runner
  1. 1

    Short for Bow Street Runner

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

Runner in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchcoureur, coureuse (somebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace), coulisse, glissière (mechanical part intended to guide or aid…), stolon (botany: long stolon)
GermanLäufer, Läuferin (somebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace), Kufe (mechanical part intended to guide or aid…), Laufschuh (type of soft-soled shoe), Tischläufer (strip of fabric used to decorate a table)
Portuguesecorredor, corredora (somebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace), trilho, centro de mesa (strip of fabric used to decorate a table), fuga (slang: quick escape away from a scene)
Spanishcorredor, corredora (somebody who runs, who moves at a fast pace)

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 runner come from?

From Middle English rennere, rynner, urnare, equivalent to run + -er. Cognate with Old Norse rennari (“runner; messenger”). Displaced earlier Middle English runel (“runner”), from Old English rynel (“runner”; also “messenger, courier”). ((botany) a long stolon sent by a plant): Compare typologically Russian побе́г (pobég) (akin to бежа́ть (bežátʹ)).

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

What to look up after runner