Segway
Segway (noun) means a two-wheeled, self-balancing electric vehicle ridden standing up, steered by leaning and by a handlebar column; a trademark. Example: “Tourists wobbled through the old town on Segways.”
How to Use Segway
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe two-wheeled electric machine you ride standing up; also the wrong spelling of segue.
Capitalise Segway when you mean the vehicle. In edited writing, the transition sense should always be spelled segue.
If you can replace it with 'transition', the word you want is segue, not Segway.
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
Tourists wobbled through the old town on _____.
Etymology
The trademark was coined as a respelling of segue (from Italian segue, 'it follows'), chosen to suggest a smooth transition. The spelling's resemblance is deliberate, which is why 'segway' is now such a common misspelling of segue in writing.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for Segway
See all rhymes for Segway →Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Segway and segue?
A Segway is the two-wheeled electric vehicle you stand on, and it is a brand name, so it takes a capital S. Segue, pronounced the same way, is the verb and noun for a smooth transition between topics or pieces of music. Writing 'a nice segway into the next point' is a misspelling.
Are Segways still made?
The original two-wheeled self-balancing Segway PT was discontinued in 2020, though the brand lives on and still sells other electric scooters and personal transporters. Plenty of the original machines remain in service on tours and with security patrols.
Why do so many people write segway instead of segue?
Because segue is pronounced SEG-way, which matches the far more familiar brand spelling. The correct spelling comes from Italian and looks nothing like it sounds, so the eye reaches for the vehicle instead.