blink

/blɪŋk/

//blɪŋk// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"blink" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“blink” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #10,655. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#10,655
frequency rank, English
4,121
“B” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To close and reopen both eyes quickly.

Corpus desk

Index EN-blink · blink · English

blink · rank #10,655 · 8 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #10,655
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,121
  • PHOTO-FINISH bankrupt

Nearest frequency peer: bankrupt (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “blink”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “blink” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

blink vs bunk
60% similar
blink vs blip
60% similar
blink vs brin
60% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for blink
PropertyValue
Headwordblink
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/blɪŋk/
Letters5
Frequency rank#10,655
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “blink”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).blinklands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “bankrupt” (#10,654), “brighter” (#10,656), “bacterial” (#10,653). Among 4,121 “B” headwords, “blink” is #10,655. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around blink (IPA /blɪŋk/), averb. Corpus frequency is #10,655 among 4,121 “B” headwords. Wiktionary lists 14 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for blink, with forms such as "bblink", "bilnk", and "blikn". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "bunk", "blip", "brin", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English blynken, blenken, from Old English *blincan (suggested by causative verb blenċan (“to deceive”); > English blench), from Proto-Germanic *blinkaną, a variant of *blīkaną (“to gleam, shine”). Cognate with Dutch blinken (“to glitter, shine”… The correct English form is blink, spelled B-L-I-N-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    To close and reopen both eyes quickly.
  2. 2
    To close and reopen both eyes quickly.
  3. 3
    To close and reopen both eyes quickly.
  4. 4
    To close and reopen both eyes quickly.
  5. 5
    To close and reopen both eyes quickly.
  6. 6
    To close and reopen both eyes quickly.
  7. 7
    To flash on and off at regular intervals.
  8. 8
    To flash on and off at regular intervals.
  9. 9
    To flash on and off at regular intervals.
  10. 10
    To perform the smallest action that could solicit a response.
  11. 11
    To have the slightest doubt, hesitation or remorse.
  12. 12
    To shut the eyes to (something); to evade, ignore.
  13. 13
    To turn slightly sour, or blinky, as beer, milk, etc.
  14. 14
    To teleport, mostly for short distances.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how blink appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The loser in the staring game is the person who blinks first.
  2. She blinked her tears away.

Etymology

From Middle English blynken, blenken, from Old English *blincan (suggested by causative verb blenċan (“to deceive”); > English blench), from Proto-Germanic *blinkaną, a variant of *blīkaną (“to gleam, shine”). Cognate with Dutch blinken (“to glitter, shine”), German blinken (“to flash, blink”), Danish blinke (“to flash, twinkle, wink, blink”), Swedish blinka (“to flash, blink, twinkle, wink, blink”). Related to blank, blick, blike, bleak.

Synonyms

nictitate

This word in other languages

parpadear(Español)ciller(Français)blinzeln(Deutsch)piscar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • bblink
  • bilnk
  • blikn
  • blinkk
  • blinnk
  • bllink
  • blnik
  • lbink

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of blink - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

bblink1bilnk2blikn2blinkk1blinnk1bllink1blnik2lbink2
Edit distance from "blink"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "blink"?
"blink" is spelled B-L-I-N-K. The IPA pronunciation is /blɪŋk/.
What does "blink" mean?
As a verb, "blink" means: To close and reopen both eyes quickly.
What words are commonly confused with "blink"?
"blink" is commonly confused with "bunk", "blip", "brin". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "blink"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "blink" is /blɪŋk/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "blink"?
From Middle English blynken, blenken, from Old English *blincan (suggested by causative verb blenċan (“to deceive”); > English blench), from Proto-Germanic *blinkaną, a variant of *blīkaną (“to gleam, shine”). Cognate with Dutch blinken (“to glitt... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "blink", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Carey#10,658arose#10,649chang#10,661chili#10,663

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

Castro8 variantsarcade8 variantsanalog8 variantsviolin8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list