tribble
/ˈtɹɪbl̩/noun
tribble is spelled T-R-I-B-B-L-E: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 8 million words in written English, the 86,301st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, tribble means “A horizontal frame with wires stretched across it for drying paper” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of tribble is tribbles.
How many letters and syllables are in tribble?
| Letters | 7: T-R-I-B-B-L-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 8 million words; the 86,301st most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; 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 tribble?
Tribble appears about once in every 8 million words in written English, the 86,301st 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 tribble?
- US /ˈtɹɪbl̩/
Tribble has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-tribble.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with tribble
Also written: treble.
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What rhymes with tribble?
3 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as tribble from its last stressed vowel (/ɪbl/):
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 tribble
- tribbles plural
- treble
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does tribble mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A horizontal frame with wires stretched across it for drying paper.
- 2
A fictional alien creature in Star Trek, a fast-breeding, cooing ball of fur.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Where does tribble come from?
Unknown. The Century Dictionary suggests possibly a corruption of cribble (“sieve”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).