trie

/ˈtɹiː/

//ˈtɹiː// noun

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

"trie" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“trie” is uncommon English (frequency #87,923 among 27,828 “T” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#87,923
frequency rank, English
27,828
“T” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An ordered tree data structure that is used to store an associative array where the keys are usually strings.

Key facts for trie
PropertyValue
Headwordtrie
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtɹiː/
Letters4
Frequency rank#87,923
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “trie” 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). trie lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

trie is uncommon English at frequency #87,923 among 27,828 “T” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈtɹiː/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "An ordered tree data structure that is used to store an associative array where the keys are usually strings.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for trie, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From retrieval. The correct English form is trie, spelled T-R-I-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    An ordered tree data structure that is used to store an associative array where the keys are usually strings.

Etymology

From retrieval.

Synonyms

prefix tree

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 "trie"?
"trie" is spelled T-R-I-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɹiː/.
What does "trie" mean?
As a noun, "trie" means: An ordered tree data structure that is used to store an associative array where the keys are usually strings.
How do you pronounce "trie"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "trie" is /ˈtɹiː/. 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 "trie"?
From retrieval. 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 “trie”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is T-R-I-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈtɹiː/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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