fugu
/ˈfuː.ɡuː/
"fugu" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“fugu” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 4
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Blowfish: a delicacy popular in Japan served raw as sushi that may, if improperly prepared, contain deadly levels of neurotoxins.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | fugu |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈfuː.ɡuː/ |
| Letters | 4 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “fugu” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for fugu is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈfuː.ɡuː/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Blowfish: a delicacy popular in Japan served raw as sushi that may, if improperly prepared, contain deadly levels of neurotoxins.".
No misspelling variants are generated for fugu in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Japanese 河豚(ふぐ) (fugu, “blowfish”). The correct English form is fugu, spelled F-U-G-U.
Definition
- 1Blowfish: a delicacy popular in Japan served raw as sushi that may, if improperly prepared, contain deadly levels of neurotoxins.
Etymology
Borrowed from Japanese 河豚(ふぐ) (fugu, “blowfish”).
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “fugu”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is F-U-G-U - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈfuː.ɡuː/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.