# funk

> English word · Noun · IPA /fʌŋk/ · frequency rank #11,035

## Definitions
1. Foul or unpleasant smell, especially body odor.
2. A style of music derived from 1960s soul music, with elements of rock and other styles, characterized by a prominent bass guitar, dance-friendly sound, a strong emphasis on the downbeat, and much syncopation.

## Etymology
1620, from French dialectal (Norman) funquer, funquier (“to smoke, reek”), from Old Northern French fungier (“to smoke”), from Vulgar Latin fūmicāre, alteration of Latin fūmigāre (“to smoke, fumigate”). Related to French dialect funkière (“smoke”). More at fumigate.

## Easily confused with
- **fur** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/funk-vs-fur)
- **fut** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/funk-vs-fut)
- **fury** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/funk-vs-fury)
- **fuse** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/funk-vs-fuse)
- **fuss** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/funk-vs-fuss)
- **fuzz** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/funk-vs-fuzz)
- **furs** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/funk-vs-furs)
- **funny** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/funk-vs-funny)
- **funky** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/funk-vs-funky)
- **fu** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fu-vs-funk)
- **FN** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fn-vs-funk)
- **fun** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fun-vs-funk)
- **fan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fan-vs-funk)
- **fin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fin-vs-funk)
- **fen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fen-vs-funk)
- **FNC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fnc-vs-funk)
- **find** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/find-vs-funk)
- **full** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/full-vs-funk)
- **fuck** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fuck-vs-funk)
- **fine** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fine-vs-funk)

## Common misspellings (6)
`ffunk`, `fnuk`, `fukn`, `funkk`, `funnk`, `ufnk`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/funk