sinker
/ˈsɪŋkə(ɹ)/
"sinker" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“sinker” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #46,779 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #46,779
- frequency rank, English
- 6
- letters
- 9
- tracked misspellings
- 20
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - That which sinks or descends.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | sinker |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈsɪŋkə(ɹ)/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Frequency rank | #46,779 |
| Misspellings tracked | 9 |
| Confusable pairs | 20 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “sinker” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for sinker is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈsɪŋkə(ɹ)/. Corpus data places it at rank #46,779 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for sinker, with forms such as "isnker", "sikner", and "sinekr". 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, "sinks", "sneer", "sister", 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 sink + -er. The correct English form is sinker, spelled S-I-N-K-E-R.
Definition
- 1That which sinks or descends.
- 2One who sinks something.
- 3A weight used in fishing to cause the line or net to sink.
- 4Any of several high speed pitches that have a downward motion near the plate; a two-seam fastball, a split-finger fastball, or a forkball.
- 5A sinker nail, used for framing in current construction.
- 6A doughnut; a biscuit.
- 7In knitting machines, one of the thin plates, blades, or other devices, that depress the loops upon or between the needles.
Etymology
From sink + -er.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: isnker,sikner,sinekr,sinkerr,sinkker,sinkre,sinnker,sniker,ssinker
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of sinker - 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.
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 "sinker"?
What does "sinker" mean?
What words are commonly confused with "sinker"?
How do you pronounce "sinker"?
What is the origin of the word "sinker"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “sinker”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is S-I-N-K-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈsɪŋkə(ɹ)/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “sinks” - see the side-by-side comparison. sinker vs sinks
- 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.