Which to use
“fumar” and “fume” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #4,009
- “fumar” frequency rank
- #33,140
- “fume” frequency rank
- 37149
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | fumar | fume |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Despedir humo. | Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de subjuntivo de fumar. |
Where the eye mixes fumar and fume
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between fumar and fume
A purely visual mix-up. fumar ([fuˈmaɾ]) and fume ([ˈfume]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 37149, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
fumar is recorded at frequency rank #4,009, classified as averb, pronounced [fuˈmaɾ]. fume is at rank #33,140, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈfume].
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 37149, this pair ranks #176,837 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of fumar vs fume
Shared letters: fmu. Private to "fumar": ar. Private to "fume": e.
"fumar" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "fume" · 4 letters · shape CVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "fumar" for "fume" ever safe?
Frequency check: "fumar" vs "fume" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "fumar" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "fume" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #176,837 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "fumar" and "fume" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "fume vs fuste". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #176,837 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.