jink
/d͡ʒɪŋk/noun, verb
jink is spelled J-I-N-K: 4 letters and one syllable. It appears about once in every 32 million words in written English, the 173,967th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, jink means “A quick evasive turn” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of jink is jinks.
How many letters and syllables are in jink?
| Letters | 4: J-I-N-K |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 32 million words; the 173,967th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is jink?
Jink appears about once in every 32 million words in written English, the 173,967th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce jink?
- /d͡ʒɪŋk/
Jink has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-jink.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of jink
- jinks plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- jinking participle, present
- jinked participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does jink mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A quick evasive turn.
- 2
A jack or knucklebone used in the game of jinks (possibly derived from the Scottish game high jinks).
verb
- 1
To make a quick evasive turn or turns to confuse pursuers, incoming fire, etc.
Do not jink. This serves no purpose and will only spoil your run in.
- 2
To cause a vehicle to make a quick evasive turn.
- 3
In the games of spoilfive and forty-five, to win the game by taking all five tricks; also, to attempt to win all five tricks, losing what has been already won if unsuccessful.
- 4
To elude; to cheat.
- 5
To clink or chink against.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Jink in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does jink come from?
Origin uncertain. The Oxford English Dictionary suggests onomatopoeia for motion. Attested since the 18th century. Compare unnasalised dialectal jick (“to avoid with a sudden jerk of the body, elude”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).