# fire vs flue

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### fire
*noun · IPA /ˈfaɪ.ə/ · frequency rank #501*
A (usually self-sustaining) chemical reaction involving the bonding of oxygen with carbon or other fuel, with the production of heat and the presence of flame or smouldering.

### flue
*noun · IPA /fluː/ · frequency rank #38,401*
A pipe or duct that carries gaseous combustion products away from the point of combustion (such as a furnace).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fire-vs-flue