pues

[ˈpwes]

/[ˈpwes]/ conj

The verdict

“pues” is in the everyday core of Spanish, ranked #170 in Spanish word frequency and used as a conjunction.

#170
frequency rank, Spanish
4
letters
4
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Partícula que sirve en la oración de nota de quien se resuelve alguna cosa o se afirma sobre lo que discurre o va a discurrir. Regularmente se pospone en este sentido a la primera palabra de la ora...

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

pues vs pum
50% similar
pues vs put
50% similar
pues vs pus
75% similar

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

Key facts for pues
PropertyValue
Headwordpues
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechConjunction
IPA[ˈpwes]
Letters4
Frequency rank#170
Misspellings tracked4
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pues” 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). pues 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 pues is 4 letters long, classified as a conjunction, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈpwes]. Corpus data places it at rank #170 in overall Spanish word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 4 likely wrong-spelling variants for pues, with forms such as "peus", "ppues", and "puess". 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, "pum", "put", "pus", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct Spanish form is pues, spelled P-U-E-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Partícula que sirve en la oración de nota de quien se resuelve alguna cosa o se afirma sobre lo que discurre o va a discurrir. Regularmente se pospone en este sentido a la primera palabra de la oración..
  2. 2
    Sirve también de nota de ilación, y las más veces equivale a «supuesto que».
  3. 3
    Sirve también por nota de suposición de alguna cosa para proseguir o resolver otras; y equivale a, «ya que», o «supuesto que».
  4. 4
    Se usa también como partícula adversativa para denotar el sentido contrario a lo antes propuesto.
  5. 5
    Se usa asimismo como partícula relativa para redargüir de un caso a otro, o de un discurso a otro.
  6. 6
    Se usa también para unir las oraciones en una cláusula o discurso, comparándolas más veces una cosa con otra para ponderarla.
  7. 7
    Se usa también para certificar alguna cosa, anteponiéndola en la oración.
  8. 8
    Usado solo y como separado de la oración se usa para preguntar lo que se duda, y para responder afirmando lo que se pregunta; y de este modo se suele añadir la partícula «no», para darle más viveza en la respuesta, y la partícula «que» en la pregunta.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: peus,ppues,puess,upes

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of pues - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

peus2ppues1puess1upes2
Edit distance from "pues"

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 "pues"?
"pues" is spelled P-U-E-S. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈpwes].
What does "pues" mean?
As a conjunction, "pues" means: Partícula que sirve en la oración de nota de quien se resuelve alguna cosa o se afirma sobre lo que discurre o va a discurrir. Regularmente se pospone en este sentido a la primera palabra de la ora...
What words are commonly confused with "pues"?
"pues" is commonly confused with "pum", "put", "pus". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "pues"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pues" is [ˈpwes]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "pues" come from?
"pues" 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 “pues”

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

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is P-U-E-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈpwes] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “pum” - see the side-by-side comparison. pues vs pum
  • 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