Twinkle

How to spell twinkle

7 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce twinkle

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does twinkle mean?

1. verbTo shine with a flickering, intermittent light.
2. nounA brief, flickering gleam of light.

Twinkle in a sentence

• verb

  On a clear night the distant stars twinkle above the harbour.

• noun

  A faint twinkle of light marked the lighthouse far out at sea.

• verb

  The city lights twinkle across the valley once the sun has set.

• noun

  There was a sudden twinkle in her eye as she revealed the surprise.

Where does twinkle come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This word comes from the Old English verb twinclian, meaning to wink or blink repeatedly, which in turn was a frequentative form built from an earlier root to do with quick flickering movements of the eye. The frequentative ending -le, the same suffix found in sparkle, crackle, and dazzle, signals an action that happens again and again in rapid bursts, which is exactly how starlight seems to flicker. By Middle English the sense had widened from a fluttering eyelid to any small, intermittent gleam of light, especially that of distant stars. It is closely related to the modern word twinkling, long used to mean a very short moment, as in the phrase the twinkling of an eye. The spelling holds together neatly once you see it as twink plus the familiar -le ending, with the only mild trap being the silent rhythm of that unstressed final cluster.

How the word is built

• twink- (from Old English twinclian: to wink, blink)
• -le (frequentative verb suffix indicating repeated action)