trait

\tʁɛ\

/\tʁɛ\/ noun

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

The verdict

“trait” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #4,386 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#4,386
frequency rank, French
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Traction animale (souvent par du bétail).

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

trait vs tri
60% similar
trait vs trio
60% similar
trait vs trip
60% similar

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

Key facts for trait
PropertyValue
Headwordtrait
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\tʁɛ\
Letters5
Frequency rank#4,386
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “trait” sits in French frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The French entry for trait is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \tʁɛ\. Corpus data places it at rank #4,386 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 33 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for trait, with forms such as "rtait", "traitt", and "trati". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "tri", "trio", "trip", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct French form is trait, spelled T-R-A-I-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Traction animale (souvent par du bétail).
  2. 2
    Ce qui sert à tirer une voiture, des cordes, des lanières de cuir, des chaines avec lesquelles on attelle le cheval.
  3. 3
    Longe à laquelle est attaché le limier qu’on mène au bois.
  4. 4
    Action de tirer à l’arc.
  5. 5
    Ce qu’on tire avec un arc, une arbalète, etc., et des javelots qu’on lance avec la main.
  6. 6
    Paroles ou propos mordants dirigés contre une personne, une création ou quelque chose pour la blesser, la critiquer ou la dénigrer.
  7. 7
    Ce qui emporte l’équilibre de la balance et la fait trébucher.
  8. 8
    Action d’avaler un liquide.
  9. 9
    Action de tirer ou de tracer une ligne.
  10. 10
    Ligne tracée.
  11. 11
    Tracé continu qui compose un sinogramme.
  12. 12
    Lignes d’un dessin qui n’est pas ombré.
  13. 13
    Fine ligne de drogue en poudre destinée à être inhalée.
  14. 14
    Lignes qu’on trace pour servir de marque.
  15. 15
    Lignes au moyen desquelles on imite la forme d’un objet.
  16. 16
    Tracé des opérations nécessaires pour tailler et pour appareiller les matériaux d’une construction.
  17. 17
    Marque que l’on fait sur l’endroit du bois ou de la pierre qu’on veut scier.
  18. 18
    Trait de scie, entaille que fait une scie à mesure qu’elle avance.
  19. 19
    Formes du visage.
  20. 20
    Ce qui distingue, ce qui caractérise une personne, une chose.
  21. 21
    Élément, idée ou passage d’un discours ou d'une conversation de plus remarquable, brillant, séduisant, vif.
  22. 22
    Action significative, révélatrice d’un caractère, d’un sentiment, etc.
  23. 23
    Action qui marque une intention favorable ou nuisible à quelqu’un.
  24. 24
    Fait historique notable, caractéristique, un évènement remarquable.
  25. 25
    Passage rapide et d’une seule venue.
  26. 26
    Certains versets que l’on chante à la messe entre le graduel et l’évangile.
  27. 27
    Rapport d’une chose à une autre : avoir trait à.
  28. 28
    Tour de jouer.
  29. 29
    Tour de jouer.
  30. 30
    Couleur de la poudre d’un minéral.
  31. 31
    Espace parcouru par le filet en une fois.
  32. 32
    Type abstrait, collection non instanciable de méthodes (sous-classe abstraite) composable dans n’importe quel ordre grâce à un mécanisme de résolution des conflits entre les noms de leurs méthodes (contrairement aux mixins).
  33. 33
    Sorte de balancier ressemblant au chadouf et qui servait à puiser l’eau dans les ardoisières en Anjou.

This word in other languages

trace(English)tirante(Español)Zug(Deutsch)traço(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: rtait,traitt,trati,triat,trrait,ttrait

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

rtait2traitt1trati2triat2trrait1ttrait1
Edit distance from "trait"

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 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "trait"?
"trait" is spelled T-R-A-I-T. The IPA pronunciation is \tʁɛ\.
What does "trait" mean?
As a noun, "trait" means: Traction animale (souvent par du bétail).
What words are commonly confused with "trait"?
"trait" is commonly confused with "tri", "trio", "trip". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "trait"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "trait" is \tʁɛ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "trait" come from?
"trait" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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.

Using “trait”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct French spelling is T-R-A-I-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \tʁɛ\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “tri” - see the side-by-side comparison. trait vs tri
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French words
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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list