winkle

\ˈvɪŋklə\

/\ˈvɪŋklə\/ verb

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

The verdict

“winkle” is uncommon French (frequency #99,766 among 27,995 “W” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#99,766
frequency rank, French
27,995
“W” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Deuxième personne du singulier de l'impératif présent du verbe : winkeln.

Key facts for winkle
PropertyValue
Headwordwinkle
LanguageFrench
Part of speechVerb
IPA\ˈvɪŋklə\
Letters6
Frequency rank#99,766
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “winkle” sits in French 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). winkle lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

winkle is uncommon French at frequency #99,766 among 27,995 “W” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed \ˈvɪŋklə\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for winkle in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular French conventions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct French form is winkle, spelled W-I-N-K-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Deuxième personne du singulier de l'impératif présent du verbe : winkeln.
  2. 2
    Première personne du singulier du présent de l'indicatif du verbe : winkeln.
  3. 3
    Première personne du singulier du présent du subjonctif du verbe : winkeln.
  4. 4
    Troisième personne du singulier du présent du subjonctif du verbe : winkeln.

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 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "winkle"?
"winkle" is spelled W-I-N-K-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is \ˈvɪŋklə\.
What does "winkle" mean?
As a verb, "winkle" means: Deuxième personne du singulier de l'impératif présent du verbe : winkeln.
How do you pronounce "winkle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "winkle" is \ˈvɪŋklə\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "winkle" come from?
"winkle" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “winkle”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is W-I-N-K-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ˈvɪŋklə\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French words

Other uncommon French words near this rank

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