# Fuzzy 'query\_string' search

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/fuzzy-query-string-search/4114>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [March 16, 2011, 7:11pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/fuzzy-query-string-search/4114 "2011-03-16T19:11:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Enrique\_Medina\_Monte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4491bb/32.png) [@Enrique\_Medina\_Monte](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Enrique_Medina_Monte)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2011, 7:11pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/fuzzy-query-string-search/4114/1 "2011-03-16T19:11:57Z")

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Hi,

Based on docs, 'query\_string' search can use the following parameters:  
fuzzy\_prefix\_length Set the prefix length for fuzzy queries. Default is 0.  
fuzzy\_min\_sim Set the minimum similarity for fuzzy queries. Defaults to 0.5  
So how is this actually used? Does this mean that, if you set any of those  
parameters, your 'query\_string' becomes automatically fuzzy?

If not, how can a 'query\_string' be made fuzzy, if possible?

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![Clinton\_Gormley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@Clinton\_Gormley](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Clinton_Gormley)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2011, 7:27pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/fuzzy-query-string-search/4114/2 "2011-03-16T19:27:46Z")

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Hi Enrique

> Based on docs, 'query\_string' search can use the following parameters:  
> fuzzy\_prefix\_length  
> Set the prefix length for fuzzy  
> queries. Default is 0.  
> fuzzy\_min\_sim  
> Set the minimum similarity for  
> fuzzy queries. Defaults to 0.5  
> So how is this actually used? Does this mean that, if you set any of  
> those parameters, your 'query\_string' becomes automatically fuzzy?
> 
> If not, how can a 'query\_string' be made fuzzy, if possible?

You add a '~' after the word.

fuzzy\_min\_sim sets the default fuzzy similarity, so you could search for  
"iphone~", which would use the default fuzzy similarity, or you could  
search for "iphone~0.5" which uses a similarity of 0.5

I don't think you can control prefix length in the query string itself.

See [Apache Lucene - Query Parser Syntax](http://lucene.apache.org/java/3_0_0/queryparsersyntax.html#Fuzzy%20Searches)

clint

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 4:09am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/fuzzy-query-string-search/4114/3 "2017-07-06T04:09:53Z")

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