# flea

> English word · Noun · IPA /fliː/ · frequency rank #16,711

## Definitions
1. A small, wingless, parasitic insect of the order Siphonaptera, renowned for its bloodsucking habits and jumping abilities.
2. A thing of no significance.

## Etymology
From Middle English fle, from Old English flēah, flēa, from Proto-West Germanic *flauh, from Proto-Germanic *flauhaz (compare West Frisian flie, Low German Flo, Flö, Dutch vlo, German Floh, Icelandic fló), from pre-Germanic *plóukos, *plówkos, from or akin to Proto-Indo-European *plúsis (compare Latin pulex, Sanskrit प्लुषि (plúṣi)).
The archaic plural fleen is from Middle English fleen, flen, from Old English flēan (“fleas”).

## Easily confused with
- **fly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flea-vs-fly)
- **flu** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flea-vs-flu)
- **foe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flea-vs-foe)
- **Flo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flea-vs-flo)
- **FSA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flea-vs-fsa)
- **fra** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flea-vs-fra)
- **FTA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flea-vs-fta)
- **FTE** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flea-vs-fte)
- **free** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flea-vs-free)
- **fuel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flea-vs-fuel)
- **flow** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flea-vs-flow)
- **Fred** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flea-vs-fred)
- **flip** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flea-vs-flip)
- **flew** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flea-vs-flew)
- **fled** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flea-vs-fled)
- **flee** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flea-vs-flee)
- **flex** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flea-vs-flex)
- **flux** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flea-vs-flux)
- **flop** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flea-vs-flop)
- **foes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flea-vs-foes)

## Common misspellings (4)
`fflea`, `flae`, `fllea`, `lfea`

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