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trickster

Definition, pronunciation, etymology, and usage for the English word. Free spelling reference powered by Wiktionary.

Letters

9 characters

Language

English

word origin

Source

Wiktionary

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Detailed reference entry for the English word "trickster", 9-letters, with pronunciation in International Phonetic Alphabet notation, etymology traced through Germanic and Romance roots where applicable, common misspelling variants catalogued from Hunspell error dictionaries, and usage frequency ranked against the top 100,000 English words in the Wordfreq corpus. PlainSpell covers English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German spelling with confusable-pair detection that highlights visually and phonetically similar words. This entry for "trickster" includes synonyms, antonyms, homophones, and cross-language translation pointers sourced from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org extract. Whether you are verifying the correct spelling of "trickster" for academic writing, checking homophone confusion, or exploring etymological origins, this page provides a citation-backed, free reference that requires no sign-up.

trickster is aEnglishnoun. It means: Any of numerous figures featuring in various mythologies and folk traditions, who use guile and secret knowledge to challenge authority and play tricks and pranks on others with their acts of trick... Pronounced /ˈtɹɪkstɚ/. Often confused with trimester.

Key facts for trickster
PropertyValue
Headwordtrickster
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtɹɪkstɚ/
Letters9
Frequency rank#34,324
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency rank visualization

Position of trickster in English word frequency (lower rank = more common)

Source: Wordfreq corpus

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for trickster is 9 letters long, classified as anoun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈtɹɪkstɚ/. Corpus data places it at rank #34,324 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it.Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our Hunspell-derived misspelling index lists 15 documented wrong-spelling variants for trickster, with forms such as "rtickster", "tirckster", and "trcikster". Each variant represents a distinct typo pattern that appears often enough in corpora to be worth flagging, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution.It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "trimester", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From trick + -ster. Root origin matters for spelling because borrowed morphemes (Greek, Latin, Old French, Old English) carry their source-language orthographic conventions into modern English, which is why historical etymology is often the cleanest predictor of whether a cluster like "-ough", "-eau", or "-tion" will appear. For readers arriving here from a spelling check, the authoritative guidance is: the correct English form is trickster, spelled T-R-I-C-K-S-T-E-R, and any other sequence of those letters, regardless of how natural it feels, is a misspelling in standard orthography.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of numerous figures featuring in various mythologies and folk traditions, who use guile and secret knowledge to challenge authority and play tricks and pranks on others with their acts of trickery; any similar figure in literature.
  2. 2
    One who plays tricks or pranks on others.
  3. 3
    One who performs tricks (parts of a magician act or entertainingly difficult physical actions).
  4. 4
    An impish or playful person.
  5. 5
    A fraud or cheat (person who performs a trick or hoax full of falsehoods for the purpose of unlawful gain).

Etymology

From trick + -ster.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: rtickster,tirckster,trcikster,tricckster,trickkster,tricksetr,tricksster,tricksterr,trickstre,trickstter,tricktser,tricskter,trikcster,trrickster,ttrickster

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

Relative frequency of common misspelling types for trickster

Misspelling Variants of "trickster"

rtickster9tirckster9trcikster9tricckster10trickkster10tricksetr9tricksster10tricksterr10
Misspelling Variants of "trickster"

Frequency rank: #34,324 in English

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "trickster"?
"trickster" is spelled T-R-I-C-K-S-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɹɪkstɚ/.
What does "trickster" mean?
As a noun, "trickster" means: Any of numerous figures featuring in various mythologies and folk traditions, who use guile and secret knowledge to challenge authority and play tricks and pranks on others with their acts of trick...
What words are commonly confused with "trickster"?
"trickster" is commonly confused with "trimester". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "trickster"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "trickster" is /ˈtɹɪkstɚ/. 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 "trickster"?
From trick + -ster. 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.

Nearby English words

Other entries that begin with the letter T in our English index:

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Data Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Frequency data from Wordfreq. Misspellings derived from Hunspell dictionaries.