tripos
/ˈtɹaɪpɒs/
"tripos" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“tripos” is uncommon English (frequency #91,087 among 27,828 “T” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- #91,087
- frequency rank, English
- 27,828
- “T” headwords
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A three-legged structure; a tripod.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | tripos |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈtɹaɪpɒs/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Frequency rank | #91,087 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “tripos” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
tripos is uncommon English at frequency #91,087 among 27,828 “T” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈtɹaɪpɒs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.
No generated misspelling entries exist for tripos in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
Etymologically, the entry records: Alteration of tripus, as though with a Greek ending. For the examination: the word is supposed to refer to the three-legged stool formerly used at the examinations for these honours, though some derive it from the three brackets formerly printed on the back… The correct English form is tripos, spelled T-R-I-P-O-S.
Definition
- 1A three-legged structure; a tripod.
- 2Any of the final examinations for a BA honours degree.
- 3The list of successful candidates in such an examination.
Etymology
Alteration of tripus, as though with a Greek ending. For the examination: the word is supposed to refer to the three-legged stool formerly used at the examinations for these honours, though some derive it from the three brackets formerly printed on the back of the paper. The etymon of tripus is the Ancient Greek τρίπους (trípous, “triple-footed”), (from τρι- (tri-, “three”) and πούς (poús, “foot”)).
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
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Using “tripos”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is T-R-I-P-O-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈtɹaɪpɒs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Other uncommon English words near this rank
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.