roovsrunConfusable pair

Which to use

“roo” and “run” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#13,787
“roo” frequency rank
#15,221
“run” frequency rank
29008
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature roo run
Definition Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de indicativo de roer. Correr.

Where the eye mixes roo and run

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.

3 ch
roo
3 ch
run

Visual trap between roo and run

A purely visual mix-up. roo ([ˈroo]) and run (/ɹʌn/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 29008, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

roo is recorded at frequency rank #13,787, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈroo]. run is at rank #15,221, tagged as averb, pronounced /ɹʌn/.

Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.

With a confusion score of 29008, this pair ranks #219,163 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of roo vs run

Shared letters: r. Private to "roo": o. Private to "run": nu.

"roo" · 3 letters · shape CVV  ·  "run" · 3 letters · shape CVC

Frequently Asked Questions

Do "roo" and "run" mean the same thing in a sentence?
No. They are said differently ([ˈroo] versus /ɹʌn/) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "roo" vs "run" - which ranks higher?
"roo" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #13,787 in our Spanish list, against #15,221 for "run". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Useful next steps

Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.

  • Full dictionary entry for "roo" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "run" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #219,163 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "roo" and "run" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "ruano vs run". Nearby pair

Confusion rank #219,163 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list