trite

/tɹaɪt/

//tɹaɪt// adj

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

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

The verdict

“trite” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #37,261. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#37,261
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Often in reference to a word or phrase: used so many times that it is commonplace, or no longer interesting or effective; worn out, hackneyed.

Corpus desk

Index EN-trite · trite · English

trite · rank #37,261 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #37,261
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH Trieste

Nearest frequency peer: Trieste (-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 “trite”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “trite” 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).

trite vs true
60% similar
trite vs trot
60% similar
trite vs twit
60% similar

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

Key facts for trite
PropertyValue
Headwordtrite
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/tɹaɪt/
Letters5
Frequency rank#37,261
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “trite”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).tritelands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “Trieste” (#37,260), “traceable” (#37,259), “topographical” (#37,258). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “trite” is #37,261. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around trite (IPA /tɹaɪt/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #37,261 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for trite, with forms such as "rtite", "tirte", and "triet". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "true", "trot", "twit", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin trītus (“worn out”), perfect passive participle of terō (“I wear away, wear out”). The correct English form is trite, spelled T-R-I-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Often in reference to a word or phrase: used so many times that it is commonplace, or no longer interesting or effective; worn out, hackneyed.
  2. 2
    So well established as to be beyond debate: trite law.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. It is a trite saying in a young country that anyone starting out in life with the determination to become wealthy will have his wish gratified.
  2. It is trite history – and trite law – to say that the law of the sea since that time [World War II] reflects a history of coastal State expansion.

Etymology

From Latin trītus (“worn out”), perfect passive participle of terō (“I wear away, wear out”).

This word in other languages

estereotipado(Español)banal(Français)abgedroschen(Deutsch)banal(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • rtite
  • tirte
  • triet
  • tritte
  • trrite
  • trtie
  • ttrite

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

rtite2tirte2triet2tritte1trrite1trtie2ttrite1
Edit distance from "trite"

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 "trite"?
"trite" is spelled T-R-I-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /tɹaɪt/.
What does "trite" mean?
As an adjective, "trite" means: Often in reference to a word or phrase: used so many times that it is commonplace, or no longer interesting or effective; worn out, hackneyed.
What words are commonly confused with "trite"?
"trite" is commonly confused with "true", "trot", "twit". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "trite"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "trite" is /tɹaɪt/. 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 "trite"?
From Latin trītus (“worn out”), perfect passive participle of terō (“I wear away, wear out”). 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 "trite", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

tongs#37,257sloop#37,227sawed#37,213allot#37,314

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

wallow7 variantssizzle7 variantsRojas7 variantsaureus7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list