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” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #15,085 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#15,085
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To close one's eyes in sleep.

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). wink 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 wink is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈwɪŋk/. Corpus data places it at rank #15,085 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

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.

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.

Using “wink”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is W-I-N-K - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈwɪŋk/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “won” - see the side-by-side comparison. wink vs won
  • 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