# fluke

> English word · Noun · IPA /fluːk/ · frequency rank #24,159

## Definitions
1. A lucky or improbable occurrence that could probably never be repeated.

## Etymology
Unknown, perhaps dialectal. It seems to have originally referred to a lucky shot at billiards. Possibly connected to sense 3, referring to whales' use of flukes to move rapidly. Possibly derived from German Glück (“luck, good fortune, happiness”).

## Easily confused with
- **fuse** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fluke-vs-fuse)
- **flux** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fluke-vs-flux)
- **fume** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fluke-vs-fume)
- **flush** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fluke-vs-flush)
- **flute** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fluke-vs-flute)
- **flung** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fluke-vs-flung)
- **flume** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fluke-vs-flume)
- **flutes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fluke-vs-flutes)
- **fluted** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fluke-vs-fluted)
- **flu** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flu-vs-fluke)
- **fake** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fake-vs-fluke)
- **flee** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flee-vs-fluke)
- **flak** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flak-vs-fluke)
- **flue** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flue-vs-fluke)
- **fluid** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fluid-vs-fluke)
- **flame** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flame-vs-fluke)
- **flare** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flare-vs-fluke)
- **flake** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flake-vs-fluke)
- **fluff** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fluff-vs-fluke)
- **flaky** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flaky-vs-fluke)

## Common misspellings (7)
`ffluke`, `flkue`, `flluke`, `fluek`, `flukke`, `fulke`, `lfuke`

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