blinkenvsblinktWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“blinken” and “blinkt” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#28,107
“blinken” frequency rank
#33,480
“blinkt” frequency rank
61587
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature blinken blinkt
Definition rhythmisch kurze Lichtsignale aussenden 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs blinken

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set blinken and blinkt apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
blinken
6 ch
blinkt

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. blinken ([ˈblɪŋkn̩]) and blinkt ([blɪŋkt]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 61587, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

blinken is recorded at frequency rank #28,107, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈblɪŋkn̩]. blinkt is at rank #33,480, tagged as averb, pronounced [blɪŋkt].

Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.

With a confusion score of 61587, this pair ranks #744,171 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of blinken vs blinkt

Shared letters: bikln. Private to "blinken": e. Private to "blinkt": t.

"blinken" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC  ·  "blinkt" · 6 letters · shape CCVCCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • blinkenbblinken · bilnken · bliknen · blinekn · blinkenn · blinkken · blinkne · blinnken
  • blinktbblinkt · bilnkt · bliknt · blinkkt · blinktt · blinnkt · blintk · bllinkt

Frequency comparison

blinken#28,107
blinkt#33,480

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "blinken" and "blinkt" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈblɪŋkn̩] versus [blɪŋkt]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "blinken" or "blinkt"?
"blinken" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #28,107 in our German list, against #33,480 for "blinkt". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering blinken vs blinkt

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “blinken” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list