fue

[ˈfwe]

/[ˈfwe]/ verb

The verdict

“fue” is in the everyday core of Spanish, ranked #44 in Spanish word frequency and used as a verb.

#44
frequency rank, Spanish
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de ir.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

fue vs fui
67% similar
fue vs für
33% similar
fue vs fut
67% similar

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

Key facts for fue
PropertyValue
Headwordfue
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈfwe]
Letters3
Frequency rank#44
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “fue” sits in Spanish frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). fue lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The Spanish entry for fue is 3 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈfwe]. Corpus data places it at rank #44 in overall Spanish word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Zero misspellings are on record for fue in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular Spanish conventions. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "fui", "für", "fut", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct Spanish form is fue, spelled F-U-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de ir.
  2. 2
    Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de ser.

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 Spanish corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "fue"?
"fue" is spelled F-U-E. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈfwe].
What does "fue" mean?
As a verb, "fue" means: Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de ir.
What words are commonly confused with "fue"?
"fue" is commonly confused with "fui", "für", "fut". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fue"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fue" is [ˈfwe]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "fue" come from?
"fue" is a Spanish word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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.

Using “fue”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is F-U-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈfwe] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “fui” - see the side-by-side comparison. fue vs fui
  • Browse more Spanish words and confusable pairs in the same reference. Spanish 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list