Why Sink "Sank"?

July 13, 2020

I have read an astonishing number of books lately in which the narrator says, “He sunk into his chair,” or the like. I cannot figure out why.

The past tense of “sink” is “sank.” I don’t know where this sudden affection for the word “sunk” came from, but it’s not correct when you’re using it as the past tense of “sink.”

So: When you’re telling your story, tell it correctly: “I sank into my chair…”

(I also notice writers saying, “I sprung out of my chair.” Same deal—sprang, not sprung.)