segue

/ˈsɛɡweɪ/

//ˈsɛɡweɪ// verb

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

"segue" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“segue” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #49,626. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#49,626
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To move smoothly from one state or subject to another.

Corpus desk

Index EN-segue · segue · English

segue · rank #49,626 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #49,626
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH sequin

Nearest frequency peer: sequin (+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 “segue”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “segue” 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).

segue vs sue
60% similar
segue vs sense
60% similar
segue vs serve
60% similar

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

Key facts for segue
PropertyValue
Headwordsegue
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈsɛɡweɪ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#49,626
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “segue”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).seguelands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “sequin” (#49,627), “sealant” (#49,624), “sevenfold” (#49,628). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “segue” is #49,626. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around segue (IPA /ˈsɛɡweɪ/), averb. Corpus frequency is #49,626 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for segue, with forms such as "esgue", "segeu", and "seggue". 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, "sue", "sense", "serve", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Italian segue (“it follows”), from seguire (“to follow”), from Latin sequor; originally a term used in a musical score to indicate that the next movement or passage is to follow without a break. Cognate with Spanish seguir. Doublet of sue. Rel… The correct English form is segue, spelled S-E-G-U-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To move smoothly from one state or subject to another.
  2. 2
    To make a smooth transition from one theme to another.
  3. 3
    To play a sequence of records with no talk between them.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I can tell she’s going to segue from our conversation about school to the topic of marriage.
  2. Then, in a staggering display of empathy for the deceased lacking, this friend segues to the narcissist nub of the matter: "Omg wat if yu get arrested b4 yur bdai."

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian segue (“it follows”), from seguire (“to follow”), from Latin sequor; originally a term used in a musical score to indicate that the next movement or passage is to follow without a break. Cognate with Spanish seguir. Doublet of sue. Related to suit and sequence.

This word in other languages

enchaîner(Français)überleiten(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • esgue
  • segeu
  • seggue
  • seuge
  • sgeue
  • ssegue

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of segue - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

esgue2segeu2seggue1seuge2sgeue2ssegue1
Edit distance from "segue"

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 "segue"?
"segue" is spelled S-E-G-U-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɛɡweɪ/.
What does "segue" mean?
As a verb, "segue" means: To move smoothly from one state or subject to another.
What words are commonly confused with "segue"?
"segue" is commonly confused with "sue", "sense", "serve". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "segue"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "segue" is /ˈsɛɡweɪ/. 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 "segue"?
Borrowed from Italian segue (“it follows”), from seguire (“to follow”), from Latin sequor; originally a term used in a musical score to indicate that the next movement or passage is to follow without a break. Cognate with Spanish seguir. Doublet o... 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 "segue", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

savin#49,617SANFL#49,615slurp#49,639Sajid#49,610

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

roque6 variantssuds6 variantsreedy6 variantsTrav6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list