fuse

/fjuːz/

//fjuːz// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"fuse" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“fuse” has 5 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #12,605. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#12,605
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A cord that, when lit, conveys the fire to some explosive device, such as a bomb.

Corpus desk

Index EN-fuse · fuse · English

fuse · rank #12,605 · 5 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #12,605
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 5 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH furnace

Nearest frequency peer: furnace (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “fuse”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “fuse” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

fuse vs fut
50% similar
fuse vs fuss
75% similar
fuse vs fuzz
50% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for fuse
PropertyValue
Headwordfuse
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/fjuːz/
Letters4
Frequency rank#12,605
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “fuse”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).fuselands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “furnace” (#12,604), “fuss” (#12,606), “freedoms” (#12,603). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “fuse” is #12,605. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 5 spelling variants around fuse (IPA /fjuːz/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #12,605 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for fuse, with forms such as "ffuse", "fsue", and "fues". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "fut", "fuss", "fuzz", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Italian fuso and French fusée, from Latin fūsus (“spindle”). The correct English form is fuse, spelled F-U-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A cord that, when lit, conveys the fire to some explosive device, such as a bomb.
  2. 2
    A cord that, when lit, conveys the fire to some explosive device, such as a bomb.
  3. 3
    The mechanism that ignites the charge in an explosive device; a detonator.
  4. 4
    A tendency to lose one's temper.
  5. 5
    A kind of match for starting a fire:
  6. 6
    A kind of match for starting a fire:

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how fuse appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The Government, having lit the fuse, is not going to be allowed to flee the explosion.
  2. When talking about being laid off, he has a short fuse.

Etymology

From Italian fuso and French fusée, from Latin fūsus (“spindle”).

This word in other languages

mecha(Español)cordeau(Français)Zündschnur(Deutsch)pavio(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ffuse
  • fsue
  • fues
  • fusse
  • ufse

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of fuse - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ffuse1fsue2fues2fusse1ufse2
Edit distance from "fuse"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "fuse"?
"fuse" is spelled F-U-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /fjuːz/.
What does "fuse" mean?
As a noun, "fuse" means: A cord that, when lit, conveys the fire to some explosive device, such as a bomb.
What words are commonly confused with "fuse"?
"fuse" is commonly confused with "fut", "fuss", "fuzz". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fuse"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fuse" is /fjuːz/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "fuse"?
From Italian fuso and French fusée, from Latin fūsus (“spindle”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "fuse", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

fuss#12,606gale#12,607feud#12,598hath#12,617

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (5 here; floor ≥5).

Gerry5 variantsJedi5 variantsluna5 variantsRudy5 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list