Run vs. Ladder
Cambridge directly maps UK “ladder” to US “run” for a long hole in tights or a stocking, and records the same regional relationship for the verb. Outside that hosiery sense, “run” and “ladder” are not synonyms.
In the hosiery sense, US English commonly uses “run” for a long hole in a stocking or pair of tights, while UK English uses “ladder.” The bare words have many unrelated meanings, so this comparison applies only to hosiery.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / context | Use | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| long hole in tights/stockings in US-oriented wording | run | Use the US hosiery term. |
| same hosiery damage in UK-oriented wording | ladder | Use the UK hosiery term. |
| any non-hosiery sense | do not substitute them | The regional equivalence is narrowly contextual. |
Quick tests
Decision test
Are you talking about a long hole in tights or stockings?
If yes: Use “run” in US-oriented wording and “ladder” in UK-oriented wording.
If no: If the context is not hosiery, this comparison does not apply.
Caveat: Foreground the tights/stockings context because both words have many unrelated senses.
Examples
There is a run in one stocking.
“Run” is the US hosiery term in this sense.
I found a ladder in my tights.
“Ladder” is the UK hosiery term.
The tights laddered near the knee.
British English also uses “ladder” as a verb in this hosiery sense.
Further guidance
Core difference
Use the US hosiery term.
Fast Test
Use “run” in US-oriented wording and “ladder” in UK-oriented wording. If the context is not hosiery, this comparison does not apply.
Usage Boundary
Foreground the tights/stockings context because both words have many unrelated senses.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- ladder (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · In the hosiery sense, UK ladder corresponds to US run for a long hole in tights or a stocking; the verb has the same regional correspondence.
- ladder (opens in a new tab)Collins Dictionary · Collins independently records chiefly British ladder as a run in a stocking.