trifling

/ˈtɹaɪfliŋ/

//ˈtɹaɪfliŋ// adj

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

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

The verdict

“trifling” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #42,461. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#42,461
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Trivial, or of little importance.

Corpus desk

Index EN-trifling · trifling · English

trifling · rank #42,461 · 13 variants · 11 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #42,461
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 11 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH triangulation

Nearest frequency peer: triangulation (-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 “trifling”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “trifling” 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).

trifling vs tripping
75% similar
trifling vs trolling
75% similar
trifling vs trimming
75% similar

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

Key facts for trifling
PropertyValue
Headwordtrifling
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈtɹaɪfliŋ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#42,461
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “trifling”

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).triflinglands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “triangulation” (#42,460), “TSM” (#42,462), “trapeze” (#42,459). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “trifling” is #42,461. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around trifling (IPA /ˈtɹaɪfliŋ/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #42,461 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for trifling, with forms such as "rtifling", "tirfling", and "trfiling". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 11 confusable-pair relationships, "tripping", "trolling", "trimming", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: By surface analysis, trifle + -ing. The correct English form is trifling, spelled T-R-I-F-L-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    Trivial, or of little importance.
  2. 2
    Frivolous.
  3. 3
    Nasty or dirty.
  4. 4
    Good-for-nothing; shady or lazy; scrub.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. […] It is not ſo decorous in reſpect of God, that he ſhould αὐτουργεῖν ἅπαντα [autourgeîn hápanta], ſet his ovvn hand as it vvere to every vvork, and immediately do all the meaneſt and triflingſt things himſelf drudgingly, vvithout making uſe of any inferior or ſubordinate Miniſters.
  2. However, upon a ſtrict Review, I blotted out ſeveral Paſſages of leſs Moment which were in my firſt Copy, for fear of being cenſured as tedious and trifling, whereof Travellers are often, perhaps not without Juſtice, accuſed.

Etymology

By surface analysis, trifle + -ing.

This word in other languages

trivial(Español)futile(Français)unbedeutend(Deutsch)trivial(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • rtifling
  • tirfling
  • trfiling
  • triffling
  • trifilng
  • triflign
  • triflingg
  • triflinng
  • triflling
  • triflnig
  • trilfing
  • trrifling
  • ttrifling

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

rtifling2tirfling2trfiling2triffling1trifilng2triflign2triflingg1triflinng1
Edit distance from "trifling"

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 "trifling"?
"trifling" is spelled T-R-I-F-L-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɹaɪfliŋ/.
What does "trifling" mean?
As an adjective, "trifling" means: Trivial, or of little importance.
What words are commonly confused with "trifling"?
"trifling" is commonly confused with "tripping", "trolling", "trimming". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "trifling"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "trifling" is /ˈtɹaɪfliŋ/. 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 "trifling"?
By surface analysis, trifle + -ing. 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 "trifling", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

uncooked#42,466toasting#42,454thruster#42,450Urquhart#42,475

Similar misspelling depth

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

undaunted13 variantswinemaker13 variantsstraying13 variantsspinster13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list