fink

/fɪŋk/

//fɪŋk// noun

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

"fink" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“fink” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #26,424. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#26,424
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A contemptible person.

Corpus desk

Index EN-fink · fink · English

fink · rank #26,424 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #26,424
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH feisty

Nearest frequency peer: feisty (-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 “fink”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “fink” 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).

fink vs FN
0% similar
fink vs fun
50% similar
fink vs fit
50% similar

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

Key facts for fink
PropertyValue
Headwordfink
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/fɪŋk/
Letters4
Frequency rank#26,424
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “fink”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).finklands 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 “feisty” (#26,423), “flexing” (#26,425), “foothold” (#26,426). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “fink” is #26,424. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around fink (IPA /fɪŋk/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #26,424 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for fink, with forms such as "ffink", "fikn", and "finkk". 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, "FN", "fun", "fit", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Unknown; first attested in 1894. A connection to Yiddish as some propose is unlikely. Suggested origins include: * German Fink (“finch; frivolous or dissolute person; informer”) as finches are notoriously chatty birds in groups. If so, then Doublet of finch… The correct English form is fink, spelled F-I-N-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    A contemptible person.
  2. 2
    An informer.
  3. 3
    A strikebreaker.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Near-synonyms: see Thesaurus:jerk, Thesaurus:idiot

Etymology

Unknown; first attested in 1894. A connection to Yiddish as some propose is unlikely. Suggested origins include: * German Fink (“finch; frivolous or dissolute person; informer”) as finches are notoriously chatty birds in groups. If so, then Doublet of finch. Compare canary (“informer”). * Partly from the German theory, a fanciful association by students with the freedom of wild birds as opposed to caged ones. * The slang name pink for Pinkerton agents and their use as strikebreakers in the 1892 Homestead strike. If the term is from the corporate name, then it is of Scots origin, Pinkerton being from a place near Dunbar, which is from an unrecognized first element (possibly ultimately pre-Celtic substrate) and Old English tūn (“enclosure, homestead, etc.”).

This word in other languages

delator(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ffink
  • fikn
  • finkk
  • finnk
  • fnik
  • ifnk

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of fink - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ffink1fikn2finkk1finnk1fnik2ifnk2
Edit distance from "fink"

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 "fink"?
"fink" is spelled F-I-N-K. The IPA pronunciation is /fɪŋk/.
What does "fink" mean?
As a noun, "fink" means: A contemptible person.
What words are commonly confused with "fink"?
"fink" is commonly confused with "FN", "fun", "fit". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fink"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fink" is /fɪŋk/. 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 "fink"?
Unknown; first attested in 1894. A connection to Yiddish as some propose is unlikely. Suggested origins include: * German Fink (“finch; frivolous or dissolute person; informer”) as finches are notoriously chatty birds in groups. If so, then Double... 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 "fink", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

exes#26,415Frau#26,434GOTO#26,445devi#26,397

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

fuses6 variantsHiggs6 variantsissuer6 variantsKwon6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list