# sink

> English word · Verb · IPA /ˈsɪŋk/ · frequency rank #5,081

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

## Easily confused with
- **SK** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sink-vs-sk)
- **six** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sink-vs-six)
- **son** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sink-vs-son)
- **sir** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sink-vs-sir)
- **sun** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sink-vs-sun)
- **sit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sink-vs-sit)
- **sip** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sink-vs-sip)
- **sis** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sink-vs-sis)
- **SNP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sink-vs-snp)
- **SNL** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sink-vs-snl)
- **syn** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sink-vs-syn)
- **Siu** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sink-vs-siu)
- **Snr** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sink-vs-snr)
- **SSN** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sink-vs-ssn)
- **SNS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sink-vs-sns)
- **SNA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sink-vs-sna)
- **song** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sink-vs-song)
- **site** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sink-vs-site)
- **size** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sink-vs-size)
- **skin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sink-vs-skin)

## Common misspellings (5)
`isnk`, `sinkk`, `sinnk`, `snik`, `ssink`

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