chink

/t͡ʃɪŋk/

//t͡ʃɪŋk// noun

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

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

The verdict

“chink” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #46,376. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#46,376
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A narrow opening such as a fissure or crack.

Corpus desk

Index EN-chink · chink · English

chink · rank #46,376 · 8 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #46,376
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH chibi

Nearest frequency peer: chibi (-2 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 “chink”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “chink” 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).

chink vs chip
60% similar
chink vs coin
60% similar
chink vs Chun
40% similar

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

Key facts for chink
PropertyValue
Headwordchink
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/t͡ʃɪŋk/
Letters5
Frequency rank#46,376
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “chink”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).chinklands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “chibi” (#46,374), “CIP” (#46,378), “chambered” (#46,373). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “chink” is #46,376. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around chink (IPA /t͡ʃɪŋk/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #46,376 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for chink, with forms such as "cchink", "chhink", and "chikn". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "chip", "coin", "Chun", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Of uncertain origin, but apparently an extension, with diminutive -k (see more at -ock), of Middle English chine (or, if already suffixed in Middle English, *chinek), from Old English ċine (“a crack, chine, chink”), equivalent to chine + -k. The correct English form is chink, spelled C-H-I-N-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    A narrow opening such as a fissure or crack.
  2. 2
    A narrow opening such as a fissure or crack.
  3. 3
    A chip or dent in something metallic.
  4. 4
    A vulnerability or flaw in a protection system or in any otherwise formidable system.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. What a pity they didn’t stop up the chinks and the crannies though, and thrust in a little lint here and there.
  2. Yet I did not give way, but settled to wait for the dawn, which must, I knew, be now at hand; for then I thought enough light would come through the chinks of the tomb above to show me how to set to work.

Etymology

Of uncertain origin, but apparently an extension, with diminutive -k (see more at -ock), of Middle English chine (or, if already suffixed in Middle English, *chinek), from Old English ċine (“a crack, chine, chink”), equivalent to chine + -k.

This word in other languages

fisura(Español)Spalt(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • cchink
  • chhink
  • chikn
  • chinkk
  • chinnk
  • chnik
  • cihnk
  • hcink

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of chink - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

cchink1chhink1chikn2chinkk1chinnk1chnik2cihnk2hcink2
Edit distance from "chink"

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 "chink"?
"chink" is spelled C-H-I-N-K. The IPA pronunciation is /t͡ʃɪŋk/.
What does "chink" mean?
As a noun, "chink" means: A narrow opening such as a fissure or crack.
What words are commonly confused with "chink"?
"chink" is commonly confused with "chip", "coin", "Chun". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "chink"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "chink" is /t͡ʃɪŋk/. 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 "chink"?
Of uncertain origin, but apparently an extension, with diminutive -k (see more at -ock), of Middle English chine (or, if already suffixed in Middle English, *chinek), from Old English ċine (“a crack, chine, chink”), equivalent to chine + -k. 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 "chink", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

chibi#46,374clack#46,381covey#46,402crimp#46,404

Similar misspelling depth

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

bizarro8 variantsBellini8 variantsBeavis8 variantsBaraka8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list