The spread is the gap between bid and ask quotations

Dukascopy explains the difference between the price available to sell a currency and the price available to buy it. That gap, commonly expressed in pips, contributes to the cost of opening and closing a position. A currency quote must therefore be read as two executable sides rather than one universal market price.

The article compares fixed and variable spread arrangements. Variable spreads respond to market conditions and can widen when liquidity is reduced or uncertainty increases. A fixed-spread offer is a provider’s pricing arrangement whose full terms still need to be understood.

The guide connects spread measurement with position size and currency conversion to show its monetary significance. This digest does not present the spread as the only possible fee: commissions, financing and execution effects can be separate. No provider is ranked or recommended, and commercial account links are omitted.