trigger

/ˈtɹɪɡə/

//ˈtɹɪɡə// noun

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

"trigger" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“trigger” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #4,723. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#4,723
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A finger-operated lever used to fire a gun.

Corpus desk

Index EN-trigger · trigger · English

trigger · rank #4,723 · 9 variants · 6 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #4,723
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 6 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH tribute

Nearest frequency peer: tribute (-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 “trigger”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “trigger” 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).

trigger vs trimmer
71% similar
trigger vs triggered
78% similar
trigger vs tiger
71% similar

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

Key facts for trigger
PropertyValue
Headwordtrigger
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtɹɪɡə/
Letters7
Frequency rank#4,723
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “trigger”

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).triggerlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “tribute” (#4,722), “vary” (#4,724), “tracking” (#4,721). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “trigger” is #4,723. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around trigger (IPA /ˈtɹɪɡə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #4,723 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 11 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for trigger, with forms such as "rtigger", "tirgger", and "trgiger". 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 6 confusable-pair relationships, "trimmer", "triggered", "tiger", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Originally tricker, from Dutch trekker (“pull”, noun, as in drawer-pull, bell-pull), from Dutch trekken (“to drag, draw, pull”). The correct English form is trigger, spelled T-R-I-G-G-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A finger-operated lever used to fire a gun.
  2. 2
    A similar device used to activate any mechanism.
  3. 3
    An event that initiates others, or incites a response.
  4. 4
    A concept or image that upsets somebody by sparking a negative emotional response.
  5. 5
    An event, experience or other stimulus that initiates a traumatic memory or a strong reaction in a person.
  6. 6
    An electronic transducer allowing a drum, cymbal, etc. to control an electronic drum unit or similar device.
  7. 7
    A device that manually lengthens (or sometimes shortens) the slide or tubing of a brass instrument, allowing the pitch range to be altered while playing.
  8. 8
    A pulse in an electronic circuit that initiates some component.
  9. 9
    An SQL procedure that may be initiated when a record is inserted, updated or deleted; typically used to maintain referential integrity.
  10. 10
    A catch to hold the wheel of a carriage on a declivity.
  11. 11
    An argument whose semantic role determines the choice of a verbal affix, in certain Austronesian languages.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Just pull the trigger.
  2. [W]e pull'd aſide the Tricker, and obſerv'd, that according to our expectation the force of the Spring of the Lock vvas not ſenſibly abated by the abſence of the Air.

Etymology

Originally tricker, from Dutch trekker (“pull”, noun, as in drawer-pull, bell-pull), from Dutch trekken (“to drag, draw, pull”).

This word in other languages

gatillo(Español)détente(Français)Abzug(Deutsch)gatilho(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • rtigger
  • tirgger
  • trgiger
  • trigegr
  • triger
  • triggerr
  • triggre
  • trrigger
  • ttrigger

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

rtigger2tirgger2trgiger2trigegr2triger1triggerr1triggre2trrigger1
Edit distance from "trigger"

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 "trigger"?
"trigger" is spelled T-R-I-G-G-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɹɪɡə/.
What does "trigger" mean?
As a noun, "trigger" means: A finger-operated lever used to fire a gun.
What words are commonly confused with "trigger"?
"trigger" is commonly confused with "trimmer", "triggered", "tiger". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "trigger"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "trigger" is /ˈtɹɪɡə/. 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 "trigger"?
Originally tricker, from Dutch trekker (“pull”, noun, as in drawer-pull, bell-pull), from Dutch trekken (“to drag, draw, pull”). 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 "trigger", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

tribute#4,722strikes#4,717Stewart#4,716shelter#4,712

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

wheels9 variantsspider9 variantsAlbert9 variantsracism9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list