Which to use
“thrice” is an adverb and “tribe” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #24,338
- “thrice” frequency rank
- #5,923
- “tribe” frequency rank
- 30261
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | thrice | tribe |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Three times. | An ethnic group larger than a band or clan (and which may contain clans) but smaller than a nation (and which in turn may constitute a nation with other tribes). The tribe is often the basis of ethnic identity. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set thrice and tribe apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: thrice is /θɹaɪs/ while tribe is /tɹaɪb/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adverb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 30261, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
thrice is recorded at frequency rank #24,338, classified as anadv, pronounced /θɹaɪs/. tribe is at rank #5,923, tagged as anoun, pronounced /tɹaɪb/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 30261, this pair ranks #356,080 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of thrice vs tribe
Shared letters: eirt. Private to "thrice": ch. Private to "tribe": b.
"thrice" · 6 letters · shape CCCVCV · "tribe" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "thrice" and "tribe" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "thrice" or "tribe"?
Remembering thrice vs tribe
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adverb, it's “thrice”; for a noun, it's “tribe”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “thrice” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable