flicker

/ˈflɪkə/

//ˈflɪkə// noun

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

"flicker" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“flicker” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #25,386. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#25,386
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
9
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An unsteady flash of light.

Corpus desk

Index EN-flicker · flicker · English

flicker · rank #25,386 · 11 variants · 9 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #25,386
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 9 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH fledgling

Nearest frequency peer: fledgling (-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 “flicker”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “flicker” 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).

flicker vs flier
71% similar
flicker vs fucker
71% similar
flicker vs Flickr
71% similar

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

Key facts for flicker
PropertyValue
Headwordflicker
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈflɪkə/
Letters7
Frequency rank#25,386
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs9
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “flicker”

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).flickerlands 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 “fledgling” (#25,385), “flimsy” (#25,387), “fiend” (#25,384). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “flicker” is #25,386. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around flicker (IPA /ˈflɪkə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #25,386 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for flicker, with forms such as "fflicker", "filcker", and "flciker". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 9 confusable-pair relationships, "flier", "fucker", "Flickr", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English flikeren (“to flutter”), from Old English flicerian, flicorian (“to flutter”), from Proto-West Germanic *flikurōn. Akin to Saterland Frisian flikkerje (“to flicker”), West Frisian flikkerje (“to flicker”), Dutch flikkeren (“to flicker, f… The correct English form is flicker, spelled F-L-I-C-K-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    An unsteady flash of light.
  2. 2
    A short moment.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. the flicker of the dying candle
  2. the flicker of an old movie

Etymology

From Middle English flikeren (“to flutter”), from Old English flicerian, flicorian (“to flutter”), from Proto-West Germanic *flikurōn. Akin to Saterland Frisian flikkerje (“to flicker”), West Frisian flikkerje (“to flicker”), Dutch flikkeren (“to flicker, flutter”), German Low German flickern (“to light up, flash, flicker”). Compare Old English flacor (“flickering, fluttering”), German flackern (“to flicker, flutter”), Old English flēogan (“to fly”).

This word in other languages

parpadeo(Español)papillotement(Français)Flackern(Deutsch)instante(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • fflicker
  • filcker
  • flciker
  • fliccker
  • flicekr
  • flickerr
  • flickker
  • flickre
  • flikcer
  • fllicker
  • lficker

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

fflicker1filcker2flciker2fliccker1flicekr2flickerr1flickker1flickre2
Edit distance from "flicker"

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 "flicker"?
"flicker" is spelled F-L-I-C-K-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈflɪkə/.
What does "flicker" mean?
As a noun, "flicker" means: An unsteady flash of light.
What words are commonly confused with "flicker"?
"flicker" is commonly confused with "flier", "fucker", "Flickr". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "flicker"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "flicker" is /ˈflɪkə/. 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 "flicker"?
From Middle English flikeren (“to flutter”), from Old English flicerian, flicorian (“to flutter”), from Proto-West Germanic *flikurōn. Akin to Saterland Frisian flikkerje (“to flicker”), West Frisian flikkerje (“to flicker”), Dutch flikkeren (“to ... 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 "flicker", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

eyeball#25,382heathen#25,405dusting#25,365dropbox#25,363

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

gullible11 variantsEstonian11 variantshinting11 variantsDonetsk11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list