blinker

Name: blinker, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈblɪŋkə/

//ˈblɪŋkə// noun

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“blinker” is uncommon English (frequency #62,718 among 31,241 “B” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#62,718
frequency rank, English: 31,241
“B” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Anything that blinks.

Key facts for blinker
Property	Value
Headword	blinker
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˈblɪŋkə/
Letters	7
Frequency rank	#62,718
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “blinker” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). blinker lands here:

#62,718

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

blinker is uncommon English at frequency #62,718 among 31,241 “B” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈblɪŋkə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 8 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for blinker, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From blink + -er. The correct English form is blinker, spelled B-L-I-N-K-E-R.

Definition

1
Anything that blinks.
2
The turn signal of an automobile.
3
A shield attached to the bridle of a horse or other domesticated animal to prevent it from seeing things behind it and to its side.
4
Whatever obstructs sight or discernment.
5
The eyelid.
6
A black eye.
7
In Conway's Game of Life, an arrangement of three cells in a row that switches between horizontal and vertical orientations in each generation.
8
A situation where the light of a dab pen or vape starts blinking, which happens when the user takes an extremely long hit.

Etymology

From blink + -er.

This word in other languages

anteojeras(Español)œillère(Français)Scheuklappe(Deutsch)pálpebra(Português)

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 "blinker"?

"blinker" is spelled B-L-I-N-K-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈblɪŋkə/.

What does "blinker" mean?

As a noun, "blinker" means: Anything that blinks.

How do you pronounce "blinker"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "blinker" is /ˈblɪŋkə/. 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 "blinker"?

From blink + -er. 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.

Using “blinker”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

The one correct English spelling is B-L-I-N-K-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˈblɪŋkə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.