trifle

/ˈtɹaɪfəl/

//ˈtɹaɪfəl// noun

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

"trifle" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“trifle” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #31,804 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#31,804
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
17
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An English dessert made from a mixture of thick custard, fruit, sponge cake, jelly and whipped cream.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

trifle vs trite
67% similar
trifle vs trill
67% similar
trifle vs tripe
67% similar

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

Key facts for trifle
PropertyValue
Headwordtrifle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtɹaɪfəl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#31,804
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs17
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “trifle” 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). trifle lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for trifle is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈtɹaɪfəl/. Corpus data places it at rank #31,804 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for trifle, with forms such as "rtifle", "tirfle", and "trfile". 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 17 confusable-pair relationships, "trite", "trill", "tripe", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English trifle, trifel, triful, trefle, truyfle, trufful, from Old French trufle (“mockery”), a byform of trufe, truffe (“deception”), of uncertain origin. The correct English form is trifle, spelled T-R-I-F-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    An English dessert made from a mixture of thick custard, fruit, sponge cake, jelly and whipped cream.
  2. 2
    Anything that is of little importance or worth.
  3. 3
    Anything that is of little importance or worth.
  4. 4
    A very small amount (of something).
  5. 5
    A particular kind of pewter.
  6. 6
    Utensils made from this particular kind of pewter.

Etymology

From Middle English trifle, trifel, triful, trefle, truyfle, trufful, from Old French trufle (“mockery”), a byform of trufe, truffe (“deception”), of uncertain origin.

Synonyms

bagatellebag of shellsbric-a-bracdickydicky-birdficofigflyspeckminuityniff-naffpicayunescuddicksoptoytricktrifletrivialitywhifflewhite chip

This word in other languages

pizca(Español)bagatelle(Français)Trifle(Deutsch)ninharia(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: rtifle,tirfle,trfile,trifel,triffle,triflle,trilfe,trrifle,ttrifle

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of trifle - 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.

rtifle2tirfle2trfile2trifel2triffle1triflle1trilfe2trrifle1
Edit distance from "trifle"

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 "trifle"?
"trifle" is spelled T-R-I-F-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɹaɪfəl/.
What does "trifle" mean?
As a noun, "trifle" means: An English dessert made from a mixture of thick custard, fruit, sponge cake, jelly and whipped cream.
What words are commonly confused with "trifle"?
"trifle" is commonly confused with "trite", "trill", "tripe". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "trifle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "trifle" is /ˈtɹaɪfəl/. 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 "trifle"?
From Middle English trifle, trifel, triful, trefle, truyfle, trufful, from Old French trufle (“mockery”), a byform of trufe, truffe (“deception”), of uncertain origin. 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 “trifle”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is T-R-I-F-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈtɹaɪfəl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “trite” - see the side-by-side comparison. trifle vs trite
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list