trike

/tɹaɪk/

//tɹaɪk// noun

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

"trike" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“trike” is uncommon English (frequency #58,424 among 3,151 “T” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#58,424
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A tricycle, typically that of a child.

Corpus desk

Index EN-trike · trike · English

trike · rank #58,424 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #58,424
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH tremolo

Nearest frequency peer: tremolo (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “trike”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “trike” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for trike
PropertyValue
Headwordtrike
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/tɹaɪk/
Letters5
Frequency rank#58,424
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “trike” in English

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “tremolo” (#58,423), “trots” (#58,425), “trudging” (#58,426). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “trike” is #58,424. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

trike is uncommon English at frequency #58,424 among 3,151 “T” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /tɹaɪk/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for trike in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: Shortening of tricycle, modelled on bike. The correct English form is trike, spelled T-R-I-K-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A tricycle, typically that of a child.
  2. 2
    A three-wheeled motorbike.
  3. 3
    A kind of railroad maintenance vehicle: a speeder or jigger.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. As a trike, his motorbike gave him more stability at the price of some speed.

Etymology

Shortening of tricycle, modelled on bike.

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 "trike"?
"trike" is spelled T-R-I-K-E. The IPA pronunciation is /tɹaɪk/.
What does "trike" mean?
As a noun, "trike" means: A tricycle, typically that of a child.
How do you pronounce "trike"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "trike" is /tɹaɪk/. 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 "trike"?
Shortening of tricycle, modelled on bike. 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 "trike", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

trots#58,425Venmo#58,442Taryn#58,403Sumer#58,395

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list