true blue
/ˌtɹuː ˈbluː/
Detailed reference entry for the English word "true-blue", 9-letters, with pronunciation in International Phonetic Alphabet notation, etymology traced through Germanic and Romance roots where applicable, common misspelling variants catalogued from Wiktionary, and usage frequency ranked against an open word-frequency list covering the top 100,000 English words. PlainSpell covers English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German spelling with confusable-pair detection that highlights visually and phonetically similar words. This entry for "true-blue" includes synonyms, antonyms, homophones, and cross-language translation pointers sourced from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org extract. Whether you are verifying the correct spelling of "true-blue" for academic writing, checking homophone confusion, or exploring etymological origins, this page provides a citation-backed, free reference that requires no sign-up.
The verdict
“true blue” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as an adjective - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 9
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Steadfastly faithful or loyal; unwavering in loyalty; staunch, true.
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See how true blue compares against similar English words.
Browse all word comparisons →| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | true blue |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ˌtɹuː ˈbluː/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “true blue” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for true blue is 9 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌtɹuː ˈbluː/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
No misspelling variants are generated for true blue in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.
Etymologically, the entry records: Endocentric compound of true (“loyal, faithful”, adjective) + blue (“steadfastly faithful or loyal”, adjective). The symbolism of the colour blue as representing constancy, faithfulness, loyalty, and truth may derive from the constant colour of the sky, or … Root origin matters for spelling because borrowed morphemes (Greek, Latin, Old French, Old English) carry their source-language orthographic conventions into modern English, which is why historical etymology is often the cleanest predictor of whether a cluster like "-ough", "-eau", or "-tion" will appear. For readers arriving here from a spelling check, the authoritative guidance is: the correct English form is true blue, spelled T-R-U-E- -B-L-U-E, and any other sequence of those letters, regardless of how natural it feels, is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Definition
- 1Steadfastly faithful or loyal; unwavering in loyalty; staunch, true.
- 2Steadfastly faithful or loyal; unwavering in loyalty; staunch, true.
- 3Steadfastly faithful or loyal; unwavering in loyalty; staunch, true.
- 4Steadfastly faithful or loyal; unwavering in loyalty; staunch, true.
- 5Representing the true essence of something; authentic, genuine, honest.
- 6Representing the true essence of something; authentic, genuine, honest.
- 7Aristocratic by birth.
- 8Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see true, blue.
Etymology
Endocentric compound of true (“loyal, faithful”, adjective) + blue (“steadfastly faithful or loyal”, adjective). The symbolism of the colour blue as representing constancy, faithfulness, loyalty, and truth may derive from the constant colour of the sky, or the tendency of certain blue dyes to resist fading, especially those made in Coventry. Adjective senses 1.1.2 (“of or pertaining to the Tory, and now the Conservative, political party”) and 1.1.3 (“of or pertaining to the Scottish Presbyterian or Whig political party in the 17th century”) probably both allude to sense 1 (“steadfastly faithful or loyal”). Sense 1.1.2 may also allude to sense 1.1.3 which is older, and sense 1.1.3 may partly allude to the blue colour of the flag of Scotland.
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.
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Free to reuse with attribution (CC BY-SA). Copy the citation:
PlainSpell, “true blue, English word data” (May 6, 2026). Derived from Wiktionary (kaikki.org, CC BY-SA) and an open word-frequency list. https://plainspell.com/en/word/true-blue
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Using “true blue”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is T-R-U-E- -B-L-U-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˌtɹuː ˈbluː/ (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
Nearby English words
Other entries that begin with the letter T in our English index: