runoff
"runoff" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“runoff” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #14,404 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #14,404
- frequency rank, English
- 6
- letters
- 7
- tracked misspellings
- 2
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - That portion of precipitation or irrigation on an area which does not infiltrate or evaporate, but instead is discharged from the area.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | runoff |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| Letters | 6 |
| Frequency rank | #14,404 |
| Misspellings tracked | 7 |
| Confusable pairs | 2 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “runoff” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for runoff is 6 letters long, classified as a noun. Corpus data places it at rank #14,404 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for runoff, with forms such as "rnuoff", "rrunoff", and "runfof". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "ruff", "Rudolf", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.
Etymologically, the entry records: Deverbal from run off. The correct English form is runoff, spelled R-U-N-O-F-F.
Definition
- 1That portion of precipitation or irrigation on an area which does not infiltrate or evaporate, but instead is discharged from the area.
- 2Dissolved chemicals, etc, included in such water.
- 3A second or further round of a competition, after other competitors (often all but the last two) have been eliminated.
- 4A second or further round of an indecisive election, after other candidates (often all but the last two) have been eliminated.
Etymology
Deverbal from run off.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: rnuoff,rrunoff,runfof,runnoff,runof,ruonff,urnoff
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of runoff - 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.
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
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Using “runoff”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is R-U-N-O-F-F - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Don't mix it up with “ruff” - see the side-by-side comparison. runoff vs ruff
- 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.