trial

/ˈtɹaɪəl/

//ˈtɹaɪəl// noun

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

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

The verdict

“trial” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,441 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,441
frequency rank, English
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An occasion on which a person or thing is tested to find out how well they perform or how suitable they are.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

trial vs trip
60% similar
trial vs trio
60% similar
trial vs trim
60% similar

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

Key facts for trial
PropertyValue
Headwordtrial
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtɹaɪəl/
Letters5
Frequency rank#1,441
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “trial” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). trial lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for trial is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈtɹaɪəl/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,441 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for trial, with forms such as "rtial", "tiral", and "triall". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "trip", "trio", "trim", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English trial, triall, from Anglo-Norman trial, triel, from trier (“to pick out, cull”) + -al. More at English try. The correct English form is trial, spelled T-R-I-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    An occasion on which a person or thing is tested to find out how well they perform or how suitable they are.
  2. 2
    An occasion on which a person or thing is tested to find out how well they perform or how suitable they are.
  3. 3
    An occasion on which a person or thing is tested to find out how well they perform or how suitable they are.
  4. 4
    An occasion on which a person or thing is tested to find out how well they perform or how suitable they are.
  5. 5
    An occasion on which a person or thing is tested to find out how well they perform or how suitable they are.
  6. 6
    An occasion on which a person or thing is tested to find out how well they perform or how suitable they are.
  7. 7
    An occasion on which a person or thing is tested to find out how well they perform or how suitable they are.
  8. 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).
  9. 9
    A difficult or annoying experience or person; (especially religion) such an experience seen as a test of faith and piety.
  10. 10
    The action of trying (to do) something, especially more than once. (This sense is still current in the expression trial and error.)

Etymology

From Middle English trial, triall, from Anglo-Norman trial, triel, from trier (“to pick out, cull”) + -al. More at English try.

This word in other languages

ensayo(Español)essai(Français)Versuch(Deutsch)ensaio(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: rtial,tiral,triall,trila,trrial,ttrial

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of trial - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

rtial2tiral2triall1trila2trrial1ttrial1
Edit distance from "trial"

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 "trial"?
"trial" is spelled T-R-I-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɹaɪəl/.
What does "trial" mean?
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.
What words are commonly confused with "trial"?
"trial" is commonly confused with "trip", "trio", "trim". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "trial"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "trial" is /ˈtɹaɪəl/. 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 "trial"?
From Middle English trial, triall, from Anglo-Norman trial, triel, from trier (“to pick out, cull”) + -al. More at English try. 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.

Using “trial”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is T-R-I-A-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈtɹaɪəl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “trip” - see the side-by-side comparison. trial vs trip
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list