mink

/mɪŋk/

//mɪŋk// noun

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

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

The verdict

“mink” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #23,904. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#23,904
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Any semi-aquatic, carnivorous mammal in the Mustelinae subfamily, similar to weasels, with dark fur, native to Europe and America, of which two species in different genera are extant: the American ...

Corpus desk

Index EN-mink · mink · English

mink · rank #23,904 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #23,904
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH Mika

Nearest frequency peer: Mika (-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 “mink”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “mink” 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).

mink vs MN
0% similar
mink vs MK
0% similar
mink vs mix
50% similar

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

Key facts for mink
PropertyValue
Headwordmink
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/mɪŋk/
Letters4
Frequency rank#23,904
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “mink”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).minklands 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 “Mika” (#23,903), “mischievous” (#23,905), “misunderstand” (#23,906). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “mink” is #23,904. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around mink (IPA /mɪŋk/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #23,904 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for mink, with forms such as "imnk", "mikn", and "minkk". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "MN", "MK", "mix", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Late Middle English mynk (“fur of the European mink”), apparently from Swedish mink, mänk, menk (“stinking animal in Finland, mink”). Compare Danish mink (“mink”), Icelandic minkur (“mink”). The correct English form is mink, spelled M-I-N-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any semi-aquatic, carnivorous mammal in the Mustelinae subfamily, similar to weasels, with dark fur, native to Europe and America, of which two species in different genera are extant: the American mink (Neogale vison) and the European mink (Mustela lutreola).
  2. 2
    The fur or pelt of a mink, used to make apparel.
  3. 3
    An article of clothing made of mink.
  4. 4
    A person with poor personal hygiene; a smelly person.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The Minx […] frequents the water like the Otter, and very much reſembles it in ſhape and color, but is leſs; will abide longer under the water than the muſk quaſh, muſk rat, or little beaver: […]
  2. [Friday 7.] I ſhot three brace of grouſe, and found a mink in one of the traps which I tailed yesterday. [Saturday 8.] The ſame trap caught another mink to-day.

Etymology

From Late Middle English mynk (“fur of the European mink”), apparently from Swedish mink, mänk, menk (“stinking animal in Finland, mink”). Compare Danish mink (“mink”), Icelandic minkur (“mink”).

This word in other languages

vison(Français)Nerz(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • imnk
  • mikn
  • minkk
  • minnk
  • mmink
  • mnik

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of mink - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

imnk2mikn2minkk1minnk1mmink1mnik2
Edit distance from "mink"

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 "mink"?
"mink" is spelled M-I-N-K. The IPA pronunciation is /mɪŋk/.
What does "mink" mean?
As a noun, "mink" means: Any semi-aquatic, carnivorous mammal in the Mustelinae subfamily, similar to weasels, with dark fur, native to Europe and America, of which two species in different genera are extant: the American ...
What words are commonly confused with "mink"?
"mink" is commonly confused with "MN", "MK", "mix". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "mink"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mink" is /mɪŋk/. 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 "mink"?
From Late Middle English mynk (“fur of the European mink”), apparently from Swedish mink, mänk, menk (“stinking animal in Finland, mink”). Compare Danish mink (“mink”), Icelandic minkur (“mink”). 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 "mink", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Mika#23,903LAPD#23,887OPEC#23,928hogg#23,862

Similar misspelling depth

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

pixie6 variantsprog6 variantsgent6 variantsGCSE6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list