# wonky

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈwɒŋ.kɪ/ · frequency rank #35,589

## Definitions
1. Lopsided, misaligned or off-centre.
2. Feeble, shaky or rickety.
3. Suffering from intermittent bugs.
4. Generally incorrect.

## Etymology
From English dialectal wanky, alteration of Middle English wankel (“unstable, shaky”), from Old English wancol (“unstable”), from Proto-West Germanic *wankul (“swaying, shaky, unstable”).

## Easily confused with
- **work** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wonky-vs-work)
- **wont** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wonky-vs-wont)
- **wook** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wonky-vs-wook)
- **works** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wonky-vs-works)
- **worry** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wonky-vs-worry)
- **woody** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wonky-vs-woody)
- **wordy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wonky-vs-wordy)
- **won** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/won-vs-wonky)
- **wok** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wok-vs-wonky)
- **woke** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/woke-vs-wonky)
- **wong** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wong-vs-wonky)
- **wink** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wink-vs-wonky)
- **wank** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wank-vs-wonky)
- **won't** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/won-t-vs-wonky)
- **Wendy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wendy-vs-wonky)
- **windy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/windy-vs-wonky)
- **wacky** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wacky-vs-wonky)

## Common misspellings (8)
`ownky`, `wnoky`, `wokny`, `wonkky`, `wonkyy`, `wonnky`, `wonyk`, `wwonky`

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