speedrun

/ˈspiːd.ɹʌn/

//ˈspiːd.ɹʌn// noun

"speedrun" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“speedrun” is uncommon English (frequency #84,769 among 54,294 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#84,769
frequency rank, English
54,294
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A playthrough of a computer or video game in which the whole game or a select part of it, such as a single level, is played with the intent of completing it as quickly as possible, optionally with ...

Key facts for speedrun
PropertyValue
Headwordspeedrun
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈspiːd.ɹʌn/
Letters8
Frequency rank#84,769
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “speedrun” 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). speedrun lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

speedrun is uncommon English at frequency #84,769 among 54,294 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈspiːd.ɹʌn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A playthrough of a computer or video game in which the whole game or a select part of it, such as a single level, is played with the intent of completing it as quickly as possible, optionally with ...".

No misspelling variants are generated for speedrun in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From speed + run. There are isolated attestations of the term as far back as the 19th century, mostly hyphenated as speed-run and in an engineering context; it is unlikely that these cases influenced the modern form. The correct English form is speedrun, spelled S-P-E-E-D-R-U-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A playthrough of a computer or video game in which the whole game or a select part of it, such as a single level, is played with the intent of completing it as quickly as possible, optionally with certain prerequisites.

Etymology

From speed + run. There are isolated attestations of the term as far back as the 19th century, mostly hyphenated as speed-run and in an engineering context; it is unlikely that these cases influenced the modern form.

This word in other languages

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 "speedrun"?
"speedrun" is spelled S-P-E-E-D-R-U-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈspiːd.ɹʌn/.
What does "speedrun" mean?
As a noun, "speedrun" means: A playthrough of a computer or video game in which the whole game or a select part of it, such as a single level, is played with the intent of completing it as quickly as possible, optionally with ...
How do you pronounce "speedrun"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "speedrun" is /ˈspiːd.ɹʌn/. 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 "speedrun"?
From speed + run. There are isolated attestations of the term as far back as the 19th century, mostly hyphenated as speed-run and in an engineering context; it is unlikely that these cases influenced the modern form. 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 “speedrun”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-P-E-E-D-R-U-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈspiːd.ɹʌn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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