zinc

/ˈzɪŋk/

//ˈzɪŋk// noun

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

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

The verdict

“zinc” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #12,172 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#12,172
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
17
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A chemical element (symbol Zn) with an atomic number of 30, a blue-silvery metal that is slightly brittle at room temperature and tarnishes slightly in moist air.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

zinc vs zip
50% similar
zinc vs zone
50% similar
zinc vs Zion
25% similar

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

Key facts for zinc
PropertyValue
Headwordzinc
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈzɪŋk/
Letters4
Frequency rank#12,172
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs17
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “zinc” 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). zinc 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 zinc is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈzɪŋk/. Corpus data places it at rank #12,172 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 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 zinc, with forms such as "iznc", "zicn", and "zincc". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 17 confusable-pair relationships, "zip", "zone", "Zion", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from German Zink, related to Zinke (“point, prong”), from Middle High German zinke, from Old High German zinko (“prong, tine”), allied to zint (“a jag, point”), from Proto-Germanic *tindaz (“prong, pinnacle”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃dónts (“to… The correct English form is zinc, spelled Z-I-N-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    A chemical element (symbol Zn) with an atomic number of 30, a blue-silvery metal that is slightly brittle at room temperature and tarnishes slightly in moist air.
  2. 2
    A single atom of this element.
  3. 3
    A corrugated iron roof.
  4. 4
    A zinc countertop.

Etymology

Borrowed from German Zink, related to Zinke (“point, prong”), from Middle High German zinke, from Old High German zinko (“prong, tine”), allied to zint (“a jag, point”), from Proto-Germanic *tindaz (“prong, pinnacle”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃dónts (“tooth, projection”). Cognate with Old English tind (“tine, prong”), Middle Low German tinde, Icelandic tindur (“spike, tooth of a rake or harrow, pinnacle, peak, battlement”). See also Dutch tinne (“battlement”), German Zinne (“pinnacle, battlement”), Danish tinde (“pinnacle, battlement”), Swedish tinne (“tooth of a rake”), More at tine. Doublet of zincum.

Synonyms

zincum

This word in other languages

zinc(Español)zinc(Français)Zink(Deutsch)zinco(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: iznc,zicn,zincc,zinnc,znic,zzinc

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

iznc2zicn2zincc1zinnc1znic2zzinc1
Edit distance from "zinc"

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 "zinc"?
"zinc" is spelled Z-I-N-C. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈzɪŋk/.
What does "zinc" mean?
As a noun, "zinc" means: A chemical element (symbol Zn) with an atomic number of 30, a blue-silvery metal that is slightly brittle at room temperature and tarnishes slightly in moist air.
What words are commonly confused with "zinc"?
"zinc" is commonly confused with "zip", "zone", "Zion". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "zinc"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "zinc" is /ˈzɪŋk/. 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 "zinc"?
Borrowed from German Zink, related to Zinke (“point, prong”), from Middle High German zinke, from Old High German zinko (“prong, tine”), allied to zint (“a jag, point”), from Proto-Germanic *tindaz (“prong, pinnacle”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃... 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 “zinc”

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

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