sync
/sɪŋk/
"sync" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“sync” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #8,868 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #8,868
- frequency rank, English
- 4
- letters
- 7
- tracked misspellings
- 20
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Clipping of synchronization or synchrony.
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 | sync |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /sɪŋk/ |
| Letters | 4 |
| Frequency rank | #8,868 |
| Misspellings tracked | 7 |
| Confusable pairs | 20 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “sync” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for sync is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /sɪŋk/. Corpus data places it at rank #8,868 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for sync, with forms such as "snyc", "ssync", and "sycn". 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, "synth", "synod", "synced", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.
Etymologically, the entry records: Clipping of synchronization. The correct English form is sync, spelled S-Y-N-C.
Definition
- 1Clipping of synchronization or synchrony.
- 2Harmony.
- 3A music synchronization license, allowing the music to be synchronized with visual media such as films.
Etymology
Clipping of synchronization.
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: snyc,ssync,sycn,syncc,synnc,syync,ysnc
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of sync - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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
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Using “sync”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is S-Y-N-C - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /sɪŋk/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “synth” - see the side-by-side comparison. sync vs synth
- 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.