wrinkle

/ˈɹɪŋkl̩/

//ˈɹɪŋkl̩// noun

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

"wrinkle" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“wrinkle” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #24,961. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#24,961
frequency rank, English
1,759
“W” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A small furrow, ridge or crease in an otherwise smooth surface.

Corpus desk

Index EN-wrinkle · wrinkle · English

wrinkle · rank #24,961 · 11 variants · 5 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #24,961
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 5 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,759
  • PHOTO-FINISH workable

Nearest frequency peer: workable (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “wrinkle”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “wrinkle” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

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).

wrinkle vs wrinkled
88% similar
wrinkle vs winkle
86% similar
wrinkle vs winkler
71% similar

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

Key facts for wrinkle
PropertyValue
Headwordwrinkle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹɪŋkl̩/
Letters7
Frequency rank#24,961
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “wrinkle”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).wrinklelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “workable” (#24,960), “yak” (#24,962), “woof” (#24,959). Among 1,759 “W” headwords, “wrinkle” is #24,961. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around wrinkle (IPA /ˈɹɪŋkl̩/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #24,961 among 1,759 “W” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for wrinkle, with forms such as "rwinkle", "wirnkle", and "wriknle". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "wrinkled", "winkle", "winkler", 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 wrinkle, wrynkel (“crease, fold, wrinkle”), from the verb (see below). Cognate with Dutch wrinkel (“wrinkle, crease”). Compare also Middle English runkel (“wrinkle”), from Old Norse hrukka (“wrinkle”), from Proto-Germanic *hrunkǭ (“wrink… The correct English form is wrinkle, spelled W-R-I-N-K-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A small furrow, ridge or crease in an otherwise smooth surface.
  2. 2
    A line or crease in the skin, especially when caused by age or fatigue.
  3. 3
    A fault, imperfection or bug especially in a new system or product; typically, they will need to be ironed out.
  4. 4
    A twist on something existing; a novel difference.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Spending time out in the sun may cause you to develop wrinkles sooner.
  2. Three months later, we're still discovering new wrinkles.

Etymology

From Middle English wrinkle, wrynkel (“crease, fold, wrinkle”), from the verb (see below). Cognate with Dutch wrinkel (“wrinkle, crease”). Compare also Middle English runkel (“wrinkle”), from Old Norse hrukka (“wrinkle”), from Proto-Germanic *hrunkǭ (“wrinkle, crease”), whence also French fronce (“crooked smile, scowl, frown”), German Runzel (“wrinkle”).

This word in other languages

arruga(Español)aspérité(Français)Falte(Deutsch)ruga(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • rwinkle
  • wirnkle
  • wriknle
  • wrinkel
  • wrinkkle
  • wrinklle
  • wrinlke
  • wrinnkle
  • wrnikle
  • wrrinkle
  • wwrinkle

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of wrinkle - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

rwinkle2wirnkle2wriknle2wrinkel2wrinkkle1wrinklle1wrinlke2wrinnkle1
Edit distance from "wrinkle"

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 "wrinkle"?
"wrinkle" is spelled W-R-I-N-K-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹɪŋkl̩/.
What does "wrinkle" mean?
As a noun, "wrinkle" means: A small furrow, ridge or crease in an otherwise smooth surface.
What words are commonly confused with "wrinkle"?
"wrinkle" is commonly confused with "wrinkled", "winkle", "winkler". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "wrinkle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "wrinkle" is /ˈɹɪŋkl̩/. 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 "wrinkle"?
From Middle English wrinkle, wrynkel (“crease, fold, wrinkle”), from the verb (see below). Cognate with Dutch wrinkel (“wrinkle, crease”). Compare also Middle English runkel (“wrinkle”), from Old Norse hrukka (“wrinkle”), from Proto-Germanic *hrun... 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 "wrinkle", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Woodrow#24,958alluded#24,977Belinda#24,990tilting#24,931

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

Burberry11 variantsspotless11 variantscorrosive11 variantscrusher11 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list