runoff
noun
runoff is spelled R-U-N-O-F-F: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 3.4 times per million words in written English, the 14,307th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, runoff means “That portion of precipitation or irrigation on an area which does not infiltrate or evaporate, but instead is discharged from the area” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of runoff is runoffs.
How many letters and syllables are in runoff?
| Letters | 6: R-U-N-O-F-F |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 3.4 times per million words; the 14,307th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is runoff?
Runoff appears 3.4 times per million words in written English, the 14,307th 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 runoff?
- US
Runoff has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-runoff.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with runoff
Also written: run-off (one word or two).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of runoff
- runoffs plural
- run-off
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does runoff mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
That portion of precipitation or irrigation on an area which does not infiltrate or evaporate, but instead is discharged from the area.
- 2
Dissolved chemicals, etc, included in such water.
The runoff of nitrates is poisoning the lake.
- 3
A second or further round of a competition, after other competitors (often all but the last two) have been eliminated.
- 4
A second or further round of an indecisive election, after other candidates (often all but the last two) have been eliminated.
There will now be a runoff as neither front runner received more than 50% of the vote.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Runoff in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | ruissellement , ballottage, second tour |
| German | Abfluss , Stichwahl |
| Portuguese | escoamento , segundo turno, segunda volta |
| Spanish | escorrentía, acholole , segunda vuelta, balotaje |
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 runoff come from?
Deverbal from run off.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).