trickster

/ˈtɹɪkstɚ/

//ˈtɹɪkstɚ// noun

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

"trickster" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“trickster” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #34,324. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#34,324
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
15
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - 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...

Corpus desk

Index EN-trickster · trickster · English

trickster · rank #34,324 · 15 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #34,324
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH Torino

Nearest frequency peer: Torino (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “trickster”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “trickster” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

trickster vs trimester
78% similar

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

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 seat of misspelling magnet “trickster”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).tricksterlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Torino” (#34,323), “topaz” (#34,322), “triples” (#34,326). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “trickster” is #34,324. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around trickster (IPA /ˈtɹɪkstɚ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #34,324 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for trickster, with forms such as "rtickster", "tirckster", and "trcikster". 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 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. The correct English form is trickster, spelled T-R-I-C-K-S-T-E-R.

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).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how trickster appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. 1991, Alan R. Velie (compiler and editor), American Indian Literature: An Anthology, Revised edition, page 44, The trickster is one of the oldest and most widespread of mythological and literary figures. […] As the name implies, the trickster is, on one level—probably the most important—an amoral practical joker who wanders about playing pranks on unsuspe…
  2. And let us begin with those sympathetic elements, the tricksters who obtain the lovers and the land, always at the expense of fools and knaves, sometimes at the expense of other tricksters.

Etymology

From trick + -ster.

Synonyms

prankstertrickertrepantricker

This word in other languages

trasgo(Español)filou(Français)Schwindler(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • rtickster
  • tirckster
  • trcikster
  • tricckster
  • trickkster
  • tricksetr
  • tricksster
  • tricksterr
  • trickstre
  • trickstter
  • tricktser
  • tricskter
  • trikcster
  • trrickster
  • ttrickster

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

rtickster2tirckster2trcikster2tricckster1trickkster1tricksetr2tricksster1tricksterr1
Edit distance from "trickster"

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 "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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "trickster", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

subsystem#34,307sauvignon#34,272appetizer#34,379arrowhead#34,382

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

vandalized15 variantsveneration15 variantsreceptacle15 variantsrattlesnake15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list