trench
/ˈtɹɛnt͡ʃ/noun, verb
trench is spelled T-R-E-N-C-H: 6 letters and one syllable. It appears 5.0 times per million words in written English, the 11,198th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, trench means “A long, narrow ditch or hole in the ground; either manmade, or formed naturally through erosion or tectonic plate movement” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of trench is trenches.
How many letters and syllables are in trench?
| Letters | 6: T-R-E-N-C-H |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 |
| In writing | 5.0 times per million words; the 11,198th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is trench?
Trench appears 5.0 times per million words in written English, the 11,198th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce trench?
- /ˈtɹɛnt͡ʃ/
- [ˈtɹ̝̊ʷɛnt͡ʃ]
- [ˈt̠ɹ̠̊˔ʷɛnt͡ʃ]
Trench has one syllable.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-trench.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of trench
- trenches plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- trenching participle, present
- trenched participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does trench mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A long, narrow ditch or hole in the ground; either manmade, or formed naturally through erosion or tectonic plate movement.
The trenches for installing the underground cables were dug with a trencher.
- 2
A narrow excavation as used in warfare, as a cover for besieging or emplaced forces.
The soldiers in the trenches rely on logistical support.
- 3
A pit, usually rectangular with smooth walls and floor, excavated during an archaeological investigation.
- 4
informalA trench coat.
I was the first person in my high school to wear a trench and fedora constantly, and Ben was one of the first to wear a black trench.
verb
- 1
To invade, especially with regard to the rights or the exclusive authority of another; to encroach.
- 2
To excavate an elongated pit for protection of soldiers and or equipment, usually perpendicular to the line of sight toward the enemy.
- 3
To excavate an elongated and often narrow pit.
- 4
To have direction; to aim or tend.
- 5
To cut; to form or shape by cutting; to make by incision, hewing, etc.
- 6
To cut furrows or ditches in.
to trench land for the purpose of draining it
- 7
To dig or cultivate very deeply, usually by digging parallel contiguous trenches in succession, filling each from the next.
to trench a garden for certain crops
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Trench in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | tranchée, fossé |
| German | Graben , Schützengraben |
| Portuguese | fosso , trincheira |
| Spanish | trinchera |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does trench come from?
Borrowed into Middle English from Old French trenche. Doublet of tranche and traunch.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).