brink

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

/bɹɪŋk/

//bɹɪŋk// noun

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

The verdict

“brink” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #14,709 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#14,709
frequency rank, English: 5
letters: 8
tracked misspellings: 20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The edge, margin, or border of a steep place, as of a precipice; a bank or edge.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

brink vs Brit

40% similar

brink vs bunk

60% similar

brink vs Bryn

40% similar

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

Key facts for brink
Property	Value
Headword	brink
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/bɹɪŋk/
Letters	5
Frequency rank	#14,709
Misspellings tracked	8
Confusable pairs	20
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “brink” 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). brink lands here:

#14,709

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

← used constantlyrarely used →

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for brink is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /bɹɪŋk/. Corpus data places it at rank #14,709 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for brink, with forms such as "bbrink", "birnk", and "brikn". 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, "Brit", "bunk", "Bryn", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English brinke, brenke, from Old Norse *brenka, brekka, from Proto-Germanic *brinkǭ, *brinkaz (“hill, edge (of land)”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰren- (“to project”). Cognate with Dutch brink (“grassland”), regional German Brink, Icelandic bre… The correct English form is brink, spelled B-R-I-N-K.

Definition

1
The edge, margin, or border of a steep place, as of a precipice; a bank or edge.
2
The edge or border.

Etymology

From Middle English brinke, brenke, from Old Norse *brenka, brekka, from Proto-Germanic *brinkǭ, *brinkaz (“hill, edge (of land)”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰren- (“to project”). Cognate with Dutch brink (“grassland”), regional German Brink, Icelandic brekka (“slope”); also Tocharian B prenke (“island”), Irish braine (“prow”).

This word in other languages

borde(Español)bord(Français)Rand(Deutsch)beira(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bbrink,birnk,brikn,brinkk,brinnk,brnik,brrink,rbink

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of brink - 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.

Edit distance from "brink"

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 "brink"?

"brink" is spelled B-R-I-N-K. The IPA pronunciation is /bɹɪŋk/.

What does "brink" mean?

As a noun, "brink" means: The edge, margin, or border of a steep place, as of a precipice; a bank or edge.

What words are commonly confused with "brink"?

"brink" is commonly confused with "Brit", "bunk", "Bryn". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "brink"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "brink" is /bɹɪŋk/. 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 "brink"?

From Middle English brinke, brenke, from Old Norse *brenka, brekka, from Proto-Germanic *brinkǭ, *brinkaz (“hill, edge (of land)”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰren- (“to project”). Cognate with Dutch brink (“grassland”), regional German Brink, Ice... 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 “brink”

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

The one correct English spelling is B-R-I-N-K - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /bɹɪŋk/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Don't mix it up with “Brit” - see the side-by-side comparison. brink vs Brit
Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

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.