ruth

/ɹuːθ/

//ɹuːθ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“ruth” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #6,615. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#6,615
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Sorrow for the misery of another; pity, compassion; mercy.

Corpus desk

Index EN-ruth · ruth · English

ruth · rank #6,615 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #6,615
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH rhythm

Nearest frequency peer: rhythm (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “ruth”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “ruth” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

ruth vs RT
0% similar
ruth vs RH
0% similar
ruth vs run
50% similar

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

Key facts for ruth
PropertyValue
Headwordruth
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɹuːθ/
Letters4
Frequency rank#6,615
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “ruth”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).ruthlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “rhythm” (#6,614), “savage” (#6,616), “retire” (#6,613). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “ruth” is #6,615. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around ruth (IPA /ɹuːθ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #6,615 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for ruth, with forms such as "rruth", "rtuh", and "ruht". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "RT", "RH", "run", 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 reuþe, ruthe, reuthe, rewthe, reowthe, corresponding to rue + -th (abstract nominal suffix), perhaps after early Scandinavian (compare Old Norse hrygð, hryggð (“ruth, sorrow”)). The correct English form is ruth, spelled R-U-T-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    Sorrow for the misery of another; pity, compassion; mercy.
  2. 2
    Repentance; regret; remorse.
  3. 3
    Sorrow; misery; distress.
  4. 4
    Something which causes regret or sorrow; a pitiful sight.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how ruth appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. It was my fortune to be at Rome, upon a day that one Catena, a notorious high-way theefe, was executed: at his strangling no man of the companie seemed to be mooved to any ruth[…].
  2. […]under her light eyebrows glimmered an eye devoid of ruth[…].

Etymology

From Middle English reuþe, ruthe, reuthe, rewthe, reowthe, corresponding to rue + -th (abstract nominal suffix), perhaps after early Scandinavian (compare Old Norse hrygð, hryggð (“ruth, sorrow”)).

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • rruth
  • rtuh
  • ruht
  • ruthh
  • rutth
  • urth

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of ruth - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

rruth1rtuh2ruht2ruthh1rutth1urth2
Edit distance from "ruth"

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 "ruth"?
"ruth" is spelled R-U-T-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹuːθ/.
What does "ruth" mean?
As a noun, "ruth" means: Sorrow for the misery of another; pity, compassion; mercy.
What words are commonly confused with "ruth"?
"ruth" is commonly confused with "RT", "RH", "run". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "ruth"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ruth" is /ɹuːθ/. 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 "ruth"?
From Middle English reuþe, ruthe, reuthe, rewthe, reowthe, corresponding to rue + -th (abstract nominal suffix), perhaps after early Scandinavian (compare Old Norse hrygð, hryggð (“ruth, sorrow”)). 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "ruth", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

rats#6,612slim#6,621spam#6,624Owen#6,603

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

pills6 variantstent6 variantslamp6 variantshack6 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list