“Queue” or “Cue”: which should you use?

Below is a transcript of the video.

Cue with a c or queue with a q?

Different meanings. Different spellings. Very easy to pick the wrong one - so always double check your writing.

Here’s the difference.

As you probably know, queue with a q is simply a line of people - as in:

That man rudely pushed in front of me in the queue!

But a cue with a c is a prompt or signal in the theatre - something that tells an actor when to speak.

We see it in the word autocue - the machine that tells a TV presenter what to say.

Or

Cue cards - which you may when giving a speech.

It’s also the word you need in a phrase like:

Taking her cue from the other diners, she used a fork to eat her pasta.  

Now, very often, I might see this with queue with a q.

But that's  wrong, wrong, wrong!

So take your cue from me - and always check your spelling of cue.

For more writing advice, enrol in my online course, Writing With Confidence, available at the Doris and Bertie Writing School.

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