trans

/tɹænz/

//tɹænz// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"trans" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“trans” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #3,590. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#3,590
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - In (or constituting, forming, or describing) a double bond in which the greater radical on both ends is on the opposite side of the bond.

Corpus desk

Index EN-trans · trans · English

trans · rank #3,590 · 8 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #3,590
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH titles

Nearest frequency peer: titles (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “trans”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “trans” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

trans vs trap
60% similar
trans vs tray
60% similar
trans vs tres
60% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for trans
PropertyValue
Headwordtrans
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/tɹænz/
Letters5
Frequency rank#3,590
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “trans”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).translands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “titles” (#3,589), “UPS” (#3,591), “tho” (#3,588). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “trans” is #3,590. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around trans (IPA /tɹænz/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #3,590 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for trans, with forms such as "rtans", "tarns", and "tranns". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "trap", "tray", "tres", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin trāns (“on the other side of”). Doublet of très. The correct English form is trans, spelled T-R-A-N-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    In (or constituting, forming, or describing) a double bond in which the greater radical on both ends is on the opposite side of the bond.
  2. 2
    In (or constituting, forming, or describing) a coordination compound in which the two instances of a particular ligand are on opposite sides of the central atom.
  3. 3
    Of the side of the Golgi apparatus farther from the endoplasmic reticulum.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how trans appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. A series of one electron shifts in this complex establish a new trans double bond at carbon ll which transfers the hydrogen to oxygen, forming the hydroperoxide and liberating the enzyme.
  2. A cis double bond is one where the hydrogen atoms are both on the same side. In contrast, a trans double bond has them on the opposite side.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin trāns (“on the other side of”). Doublet of très.

Antonyms

cis

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • rtans
  • tarns
  • tranns
  • transs
  • trasn
  • trnas
  • trrans
  • ttrans

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of trans - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

rtans2tarns2tranns1transs1trasn2trnas2trrans1ttrans1
Edit distance from "trans"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "trans"?
"trans" is spelled T-R-A-N-S. The IPA pronunciation is /tɹænz/.
What does "trans" mean?
As an adjective, "trans" means: In (or constituting, forming, or describing) a double bond in which the greater radical on both ends is on the opposite side of the bond.
What words are commonly confused with "trans"?
"trans" is commonly confused with "trap", "tray", "tres". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "trans"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "trans" is /tɹænz/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "trans"?
Borrowed from Latin trāns (“on the other side of”). Doublet of très. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "trans", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

steal#3,585saint#3,584buddy#3,603cares#3,606

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

repair8 variantsremote8 variantsburied8 variantskings8 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list