A fleck is a tiny spot, mark, or particle of something. You might notice a fleck of paint on your jeans after an art project, or flecks of gold glinting in a rock you found by the river. When you crack an egg, sometimes tiny flecks of shell fall into the bowl.

Flecks are small enough that you could easily miss them if you weren't paying attention: a single fleck of dust floating through a sunbeam, a few flecks of pepper on your mashed potatoes, or flecks of green in someone's blue eyes. The word captures that sense of something small and scattered, rather than a solid mass.

You'll often see “fleck” paired with “of”: flecks of snow in someone's hair after they come inside, flecks of foam on ocean waves, or flecks of brown in a golden retriever's fur. The word suggests something delicate and small, often adding a touch of color or texture to whatever it appears on.