This is part of the difference between series.
I’ve heard some people confusing the words cue and queue. Here’s the difference between the two.
Cue
Cue refers to something that’s said or done that tells someone it’s time to proceed with their action. It can also be a way to indicate a certain condition
- When Sue yells, “Not until tomorrow”, that’s your cue to come on stage.
- My, that’s a big yawn. I think that’s our cue to leave.
- Our baby’s constant crying is a cue that she’s tired.
Queue
Queue, on the other hand, refers to a line or a type of storage.
- Please form a queue behind the yellow line.
- I have four blog posts waiting in the queue for approval.
In other words, cue is a signal and queue is a line.
A simple trick for remembering this is that a capital Q has a line in it, and queue is a synonym for line. Another trick shared with me by a friend is to think of queue as a lineup of silent letters waiting their turn in line for nothing.
Which words do you confuse? Let me know in the comments below.
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