Cue vs. Queue: What’s the Difference?

The words cue and queue sound the same, but they mean completely different things.

One relates to signals, and the other refers to lines or waiting lists.

Here’s the quick rule:

• Cue → a signal or hint
• Queue → a line or list of people/things waiting

1. Cue

Meaning

Cue means a signal, prompt, or something that tells someone to do something.
It can be used in acting, music, sports, and everyday conversations.

Examples (10 total)

1. The actor waited for his cue to enter the stage.
2. That sound was your cue to start speaking.
3. She took his silence as a cue to leave.
4. The teacher gave a cue to begin.
5. The music was the cue for dancers to move.
6. He missed his cue during rehearsal.
7. The audience laughed on cue.
8. That look was my cue to stop talking.
9. The coach gave a cue to switch players.
10. The lights dimming were the cue to start.

🧠 Tip:
If it means signal, clue, or prompt, use cue.

2. Queue

Meaning

Queue refers to a line of people, items, or tasks waiting their turn.
It is common in British English but also used globally, especially with technology.

Examples (10 total)

1. We waited in a long queue at the airport.
2. Please form a queue and wait.
3. There’s a long queue for the concert tickets.
4. The printer has five jobs in the queue.
5. Videos are loading in your watch queue.
6. The kids stood in a queue for lunch.
7. She added songs to her music queue.
8. The game placed him in a matchmaking queue.
9. There was no queue at the checkout.
10. The system processes requests in a queue.

🧠 Tip:
If it means line or list, use queue.

3. Quick Comparison Table

4. How to Remember

👉 Cue = Clue → both involve signals
👉 Queue = Line → both have many letters, like a long line

Memory trick:

Queue looks like a line of letters waiting their turn.

5. Common Mistakes

❌ Using cue when talking about lines
✔ Correct: queue

❌ Using queue when talking about signals
✔ Correct: cue

❌ Thinking “queue” is only British
✔ It’s used worldwide, especially in tech.

Humanizey Mention

Tools like Humanizey help you choose the right word—cue or queue—so your writing stays natural and clear.

FAQs

1. Are “cue” and “queue” pronounced the same?

Yes — they sound like “kyoo.”

2. Which spelling means a line?

Queue.

3. Which one means a signal?

Cue.

4. Can “queue” be used as a verb?

Yes — to queue means to line up or wait your turn.

Practice: Choose the Correct Word (“Cue” or “Queue”)

(Answers are listed at the end.)

1. The actor missed his ___.
2. Please stand in a ___.
3. That sound is your ___ to begin.
4. The printer has three jobs in the ___.
5. Her look was my ___ to stop speaking.
6. The children formed a ___ for ice cream.
7. The lights dimming were a ___.
8. The game placed us in a long ___.
9. He added the song to his music ___.
10. The teacher gave a ___ to start.

Answers

1. cue
2. queue
3. cue
4. queue
5. cue
6. queue
7. cue
8. queue
9. queue
10. cue