trial
tri·al/ˈtɹaɪəl/noun, adjective, verb
trial is spelled T-R-I-A-L: 5 letters and 2 syllables (tri·al). It appears 74 times per million words in written English, the 1,427th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, trial means “An occasion on which a person or thing is tested to find out how well they perform or how suitable they are” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of trial is trials.
How many letters and syllables are in trial?
| Letters | 5: T-R-I-A-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: tri·al |
| In writing | 74 times per million words; the 1,427th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
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); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is trial?
Trial appears 74 times per million words in written English, the 1,427th 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 trial?
- /ˈtɹaɪəl/
- [tɹaɪəl]
Trial has 2 syllables, split tri·al in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-trial.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with trial?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as trial.
Spelled with the same letters in another order: trail.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of trial
- trials plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- trialing US, participle, present
- trialling UK, participle, present
- trialed US, participle, past
- trialled UK, participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does trial mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
An occasion on which a person or thing is tested to find out how well they perform or how suitable they are.
- 2
The testing of a product or procedure.
They will perform the trials for the new equipment next week.
- 3
A research study to test the effectiveness and safety of a drug, medical procedure, etc.
A randomized, controlled trial (RCT).
- 4
An event in which athletes’ or animals’ abilities are tested as they compete for a place on a team, or to move on to the next level of a championship, for example.
soccer trials; sheepdog trials
- 5
A piece of ware used to test the heat of a kiln.
- 6
UKAn internal examination set by Eton College.
- 7
archaicAn occasion on which armies or individuals meet in combat.
- 8
A meeting or series of meetings in a court of law at which evidence is presented to a judge (and sometimes a jury) to allow them to decide on a legal matter (especially whether an accused person is guilty of a crime).
If you are convicted at trial, you have the right to file an appeal.
- 9
The trial number.
adjective
- 1
Pertaining to a trial or test.
- 2
Attempted on a provisional or experimental basis.
- 3
Characterized by having three (usually equivalent) components.
- 4
Triple.
- 5
Pertaining to a language form referring to three of something, like people. (See Ambai language for an example.)
No language has a trial number unless it has a dual.
verb
- 1
To carry out a series of tests on (a new product, procedure etc.) before marketing or implementing it.
The warning system was extensively trialed before being fitted to all our vehicles.
- 2
To try out (a new player) in a sports team.
The team trialled a new young goalkeeper in Saturday's match, with mixed results.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Trial in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | essai , procès , épreuve , triel |
| German | Versuch, Prüfung, Probe , Prozess, Gerichtsverhandlung , probeweise |
| Portuguese | ensaio, prova, experiência, experimento , processo, julgamento |
| Spanish | ensayo, prueba, probatura, cotejo , juicio, proceso |
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 trial come from?
From Middle English trial, triall, from Anglo-Norman trial, triel, from trier (“to pick out, cull”) + -al. More at English try.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).