trill
/tɹɪl/noun, verb, adjective
trill is spelled T-R-I-L-L: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 40,267th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, trill means “A rapid alternation between an indicated note and the one above it as an ornament; in musical notation usually indicated with the letters tr written…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of trill is trills.
How many letters and syllables are in trill?
| Letters | 5: T-R-I-L-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 40,267th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is trill?
Trill appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 40,267th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce trill?
- US /tɹɪl/
- US [t̠ʰɹ̠̊ɪl]
- /tɾɪl/
Trill has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-trill.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with trill?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as trill from its last stressed vowel (/ɪl/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of trill
- trills plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- trilling participle, present
- trilled participle, past
- triller comparative
- trillest superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does trill mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A rapid alternation between an indicated note and the one above it as an ornament; in musical notation usually indicated with the letters tr written above the staff.
- 2
A type of consonantal sound that is produced by vibrations of the tongue against the place of articulation: for example, Spanish ⟨rr⟩, /r/.
- 3
A tremulous high-pitched vocal sound produced by cats.
verb
- 1
To create a trill sound; to utter trills or a trill; to play or sing in tremulous vibrations of sound; to have a trembling sound; to quaver.
- 2
To impart the quality of a trill to; to utter as, or with, a trill.
to trill a note, or the letter r
- 3
obsoleteTo trickle.
Whisper'd sounds / Of waters, trilling from the riven stone.
- 4
obsoleteTo twirl.
adjective
- 1
slangTrue; respected.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Trill in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | trille , consonne roulée , triller |
| German | Triller , Vibrant , trillern |
| Portuguese | trilo, trino, trinado , vibrante |
| Spanish | trino , vibrante, vibrante múltiple |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does trill come from?
From Middle English trillen, from Italian trillo, trillare. Compare German trillern, Norwegian trille, Swedish trilla.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).