tricycle

/ˈtɹaɪsɪkəl/

//ˈtɹaɪsɪkəl// noun

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

"tricycle" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“tricycle” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #37,743. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#37,743
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A cycle with three wheels, powered by pedals and usually intended for young children.

Corpus desk

Index EN-tricycle · tricycle · English

tricycle · rank #37,743 · 13 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #37,743
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH Triassic

Nearest frequency peer: Triassic (-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 “tricycle”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “tricycle” 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).

tricycle vs trickle
75% similar

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

Key facts for tricycle
PropertyValue
Headwordtricycle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtɹaɪsɪkəl/
Letters8
Frequency rank#37,743
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “tricycle”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Triassic” (#37,742), “TRP” (#37,744), “Truro” (#37,745). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “tricycle” is #37,743. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around tricycle (IPA /ˈtɹaɪsɪkəl/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #37,743 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for tricycle, with forms such as "rticycle", "tircycle", and "trciycle". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "trickle", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French tricycle. By surface analysis, tri- + cycle. The correct English form is tricycle, spelled T-R-I-C-Y-C-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A cycle with three wheels, powered by pedals and usually intended for young children.
  2. 2
    An autorickshaw; A motorized cycle rickshaw (usually a roofed motorcycle with sidecar, often available for hire in the manner of a taxi)

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. [S]o I rode home on my brand new tricycle to find the rest of the family parked in front of the box.

Etymology

From French tricycle. By surface analysis, tri- + cycle.

This word in other languages

triciclo(Español)tricycle(Français)Dreirad(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • rticycle
  • tircycle
  • trciycle
  • triccycle
  • triccyle
  • tricyccle
  • tricycel
  • tricyclle
  • tricylce
  • tricyycle
  • triyccle
  • trricycle
  • ttricycle

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of tricycle - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

rticycle2tircycle2trciycle2triccycle1triccyle2tricyccle1tricycel2tricyclle1
Edit distance from "tricycle"

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 "tricycle"?
"tricycle" is spelled T-R-I-C-Y-C-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɹaɪsɪkəl/.
What does "tricycle" mean?
As a noun, "tricycle" means: A cycle with three wheels, powered by pedals and usually intended for young children.
What words are commonly confused with "tricycle"?
"tricycle" is commonly confused with "trickle". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "tricycle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tricycle" is /ˈtɹaɪsɪkəl/. 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 "tricycle"?
From French tricycle. By surface analysis, tri- + cycle. 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 "tricycle", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Triassic#37,742unmasked#37,753wavering#37,766suburbia#37,716

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

unaltered13 variantsTiananmen13 variantswherefore13 variantswindward13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list