sink

/ˈsɪŋk/

//ˈsɪŋk// verb

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

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

The verdict

“sink” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,081 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#5,081
frequency rank, English
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To move or be moved into something.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

sink vs SK
0% similar
sink vs six
50% similar
sink vs son
50% similar

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

Key facts for sink
PropertyValue
Headwordsink
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈsɪŋk/
Letters4
Frequency rank#5,081
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “sink” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). sink lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for sink is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈsɪŋk/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,081 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 16 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for sink, with forms such as "isnk", "sinkk", and "sinnk". 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, "SK", "six", "son", 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 synken, from Old English sincan, from Proto-West Germanic *sinkwan, from Proto-Germanic *sinkwaną, from Proto-Indo-European *sengʷ- (“to fall, sink”). Compare West Frisian sinke, Low German sinken, Dutch zinken, German sinken, Danish and… The correct English form is sink, spelled S-I-N-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    To move or be moved into something.
  2. 2
    To move or be moved into something.
  3. 3
    To move or be moved into something.
  4. 4
    To move or be moved into something.
  5. 5
    To move or be moved into something.
  6. 6
    To diminish or be diminished.
  7. 7
    To diminish or be diminished.
  8. 8
    To diminish or be diminished.
  9. 9
    To conceal and appropriate.
  10. 10
    To keep out of sight; to suppress; to ignore.
  11. 11
    To drink (especially something alcoholic).
  12. 12
    To pay absolutely.
  13. 13
    To reduce or extinguish by payment.
  14. 14
    To be overwhelmed or depressed; to fail in strength.
  15. 15
    To die.
  16. 16
    To decrease in volume, as a river; to subside; to become diminished in volume or in apparent height.

Etymology

From Middle English synken, from Old English sincan, from Proto-West Germanic *sinkwan, from Proto-Germanic *sinkwaną, from Proto-Indo-European *sengʷ- (“to fall, sink”). Compare West Frisian sinke, Low German sinken, Dutch zinken, German sinken, Danish and Norwegian Bokmål synke, Swedish sjunka. In the causative sense, it replaced Old English senċan (“make sink”) from Proto-Germanic *sankwijaną.

This word in other languages

hundir(Español)couler(Français)sinken(Deutsch)afundar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: isnk,sinkk,sinnk,snik,ssink

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of sink - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

isnk2sinkk1sinnk1snik2ssink1
Edit distance from "sink"

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 "sink"?
"sink" is spelled S-I-N-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɪŋk/.
What does "sink" mean?
As a verb, "sink" means: To move or be moved into something.
What words are commonly confused with "sink"?
"sink" is commonly confused with "SK", "six", "son". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "sink"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sink" is /ˈsɪŋk/. 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 "sink"?
From Middle English synken, from Old English sincan, from Proto-West Germanic *sinkwan, from Proto-Germanic *sinkwaną, from Proto-Indo-European *sengʷ- (“to fall, sink”). Compare West Frisian sinke, Low German sinken, Dutch zinken, German sinken, ... 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.

Using “sink”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is S-I-N-K - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈsɪŋk/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “SK” - see the side-by-side comparison. sink vs SK
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list