wink

/ˈwɪŋk/

//ˈwɪŋk// verb

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

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

The verdict

“wink” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #15,085. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#15,085
frequency rank, English
1,759
“W” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To close one's eyes in sleep.

Corpus desk

Index EN-wink · wink · English

wink · rank #15,085 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #15,085
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,759
  • PHOTO-FINISH woodward

Nearest frequency peer: woodward (+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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “wink”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “wink” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

wink vs won
50% similar
wink vs wit
50% similar
wink vs wis
50% similar

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

Key facts for wink
PropertyValue
Headwordwink
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈwɪŋk/
Letters4
Frequency rank#15,085
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “wink” 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).winklands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “woodward” (#15,086), “Volkswagen” (#15,083), “Yugoslavia” (#15,087). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around wink (IPA /ˈwɪŋk/), averb. Corpus frequency is #15,085 among 1,759 “W” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for wink, with forms such as "iwnk", "wikn", and "winkk". 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, "won", "wit", "wis", 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 wynken, from Old English wincian (“to wink, make a sign, close the eyes, blink”, weak verb), from Proto-West Germanic *winkōn (“to close one's eyes”), from Proto-Indo-European *weng- (“to bow, bend, arch, curve”). Cognate with Middle Low… The correct English form is wink, spelled W-I-N-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    To close one's eyes in sleep.
  2. 2
    To close one's eyes.
  3. 3
    Usually followed by at: to look the other way, to turn a blind eye.
  4. 4
    To close one's eyes quickly and involuntarily; to blink.
  5. 5
    To blink with only one eye as a message, signal, or suggestion, usually with an implication of conspiracy. (When transitive, the object may be the eye being winked, or the message being conveyed.)
  6. 6
    To gleam fitfully or intermittently; to twinkle; to flicker.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. When most I wink, then do mine eyes best see, For all the day they view things unrespected; But when I sleep, in dreams they look on thee, And darkly bright are bright in dark directed.
  2. Art thou ashamed to kiss? then wink again, And I will wink; so shall the day seem night […]

Etymology

From Middle English wynken, from Old English wincian (“to wink, make a sign, close the eyes, blink”, weak verb), from Proto-West Germanic *winkōn (“to close one's eyes”), from Proto-Indo-European *weng- (“to bow, bend, arch, curve”). Cognate with Middle Low German winken (“to blink, wink”), German winken (“to nod, beckon, make a sign”). Related also to Saterland Frisian wäänke, Dutch wenken (“to beckon, motion”), Latin vacillare (“sway”), Lithuanian véngti (“to swerve, avoid”), Albanian vang (“tire, felloe”), Sanskrit वङ्गति (vaṅgati, “(he, she) limps”), French guigner (“to eye, sneak a look at”).

Synonyms

nictitate

This word in other languages

guiñar(Español)cligner de l’œil(Français)zuzwinkern(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • iwnk
  • wikn
  • winkk
  • winnk
  • wnik
  • wwink

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

iwnk2wikn2winkk1winnk1wnik2wwink1
Edit distance from "wink"

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 "wink"?
"wink" is spelled W-I-N-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈwɪŋk/.
What does "wink" mean?
As a verb, "wink" means: To close one's eyes in sleep.
What words are commonly confused with "wink"?
"wink" is commonly confused with "won", "wit", "wis". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "wink"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "wink" is /ˈwɪŋk/. 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 "wink"?
From Middle English wynken, from Old English wincian (“to wink, make a sign, close the eyes, blink”, weak verb), from Proto-West Germanic *winkōn (“to close one's eyes”), from Proto-Indo-European *weng- (“to bow, bend, arch, curve”). Cognate with ... 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 "wink", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

ADHD#15,093axle#15,105brag#15,115coco#15,131

Similar misspelling depth

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

attire6 variantssuing6 variantsmoth6 variantsflap6 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "wink". Here's where to go from here.

  • "wink" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "won". View pair
  • 6 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #15,085 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "W" letter cohort. W–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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