Which to use
“fluke” and “flume” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #24,159
- “fluke” frequency rank
- #36,562
- “flume” frequency rank
- 60721
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | fluke | flume |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A lucky or improbable occurrence that could probably never be repeated. | A ravine or gorge, usually one with water running through. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set fluke and flume apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. fluke (/fluːk/) and flume (/fluːm/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by a single letter - k in “fluke” becomes m in “flume”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 60721, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
fluke is recorded at frequency rank #24,159, classified as anoun, pronounced /fluːk/. flume is at rank #36,562, tagged as anoun, pronounced /fluːm/.
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 60721, this pair ranks #98,459 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of fluke vs flume
Shared letters: eflu. Private to "fluke": k. Private to "flume": m.
"fluke" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV · "flume" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "fluke" and "flume" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "fluke" or "flume"?
Remembering fluke vs flume
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “fluke” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable