What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Twinkle vs Trinkle - What's the difference?

twinkle | trinkle |

As verbs the difference between twinkle and trinkle

is that twinkle is (of a source of light) to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer while trinkle is (rare) to trickle.

As a noun twinkle

is a sparkle or glimmer of light.

twinkle

English

Verb

(en-verb)
  • (of a source of light) to shine with a flickering light; to glimmer
    • We could see the lights of the village twinkling in the distance.
  • * Sir Isaac Newton
    • These stars do not twinkle when viewed through telescopes that have large apertures.
  • * Sir Walter Scott
    • The western sky twinkled with stars.
  • (chiefly, of eyes) to be bright with delight
    • His shrewd little eyes twinkled roguishly.
  • to bat, blink or wink the eyes
  • * Mrs. Juliet M. Hueffer Soskice, "Reminiscences of an Artist's Granddaughter",
    • She smiled and gave a little nod and twinkled her eyes
  • * L'Estrange
    • The owl fell a moping and twinkling .
  • to flit to and fro
  • * Dorothy Gilman, "Mrs. Pollifax and the Golden Triangle"
    • A butterfly twinkled among the vines

    Synonyms

    * glimmer * scintillate * wink

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • a sparkle or glimmer of light
  • * Robert De Beaugrande, "Text, Discourse, and Process",
    • Soon the rocket was out of sight, and the flame was only seen as a tiny twinkle of light.
  • a sparkle of delight in the eyes.
    • He was a rotund, jolly man with a twinkle in his eye.
  • a flitting movement
  • * James Russell Lowell, "Poetical Works of James Russell Lowell",
    • I saw the twinkle of white feet,

    trinkle

    English

    Verb

    (trinkl)
  • (rare) to trickle
  • (obsolete) To act secretly, or in an underhand way; to tamper.
    • (Wright)

    References

    (the tears trinkled down her cheeks), [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=0AVzqSAUoLUC&pg=PA101&dq=%22trinkled%22&hl=en&ei=KbwpTOG7HoKglAejgp3DAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CDwQ6AEwBg] (the tears trinkled down Trim's cheeks], [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=8mUl8oDXyroC&pg=PA56&dq=%22trinkling%22&hl=en&ei=arwpTIXLFYSclgfdgOWsAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CD8Q6AEwBg
  • v=onepage&q=%22trinkling%22&f=false (my own heart's blood came trinkling down)