One syllable: Tried.
treyed
/tɹaɪd/
Tried is pronounced treyed (/tɹaɪd/). It has one syllable (Tried), with the stress on "Tried". Tried is the past tense of try, used as an adjective in phrases like “a tried method” to mean tested or proven by experience. As a verb past tense, it denotes an attempt made in the past. It signals completed action or repeated testing, and can imply effort or persistence in pursuing a result.
adjectiveTried is the past tense of try, used as an adjective in phrases like “a tried method” to mean tested or proven by experience. As a verb past tense, it denotes an attempt made in the past. It signals completed action or repeated testing, and can imply effort or persistence in pursuing a result.
"She tried the new recipe and liked it."
"That plan is tried and true, so we should use it again."
"He tried harder after the initial failure."
Pronounce as /traɪd/. Start with a clean /t/, then the long /aɪ/ diphthong (like “eye”), and finish with a clear /d/. In connected speech, the tongue glides from the alveolar stop to the high front glide as you transition to /aɪ/, and the /d/ lands firmly without rushing the vowel. IPA: /traɪd/.
Common errors include: 1) Replacing /aɪ/ with a shorter, clipped vowel (e.g., /tɹɪd/ or /tɪd/). 2) Dropping the final /d/ in casual speech, sounding like /traɪ/ or /trail/ in some dialects; ensure you close the word with a /d/. 3) T-voicing blend mishaps like /tɹ/ slurring; keep a crisp alveolar /t/ before the /r/ and /aɪ/.
US/UK/AU share /traɪd/, but US tends to light the /r/ following the /t/ only if preceding a vowel; in non-rhotic UK accents, /r/ is not pronounced unless followed by a vowel, but here the /r/ is part of the /tr/ cluster, so it remains. Australian tends to be non-rhotic and may feature a slightly more centralized /aɪ/; the overall sequence remains /t/ + /ɹ/ + /aɪ/ + /d/ in connected speech.
The key challenge is the diphthong /aɪ/ in a closed syllable right before a final /d/. Learners often shorten the vowel or fail to fully close with /d/. The /tr/ cluster also demands precise tongue-tip contact and a crisp release, which can blur with fast speech. Focusing on the transition from /t/ to /r/ and maintaining the diphthong length helps clarity.
The word combines a challenging onset cluster /tr/ with a long vowel /aɪ/ before a voiced final /d/. Practically, you’ll search for guidance on articulatory timing—the tongue must release the /t/, trigger the /r/ flame, then glide through the /aɪ/ without interruption into /d/. Emphasize the full vowel length and a precise /d/ closure.
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Tried originates from the Old French trier, from Latin triare (to separate, to choose), influenced by the phrase to ‘try out’ something. In Middle English, to try meant to test or prove, with the past tense formed as tried. The sense of attempting or making an effort developed alongside the testing sense. By the 14th–15th centuries, tried appeared in texts as both a verb (to have attempted) and as an adjective in fixed phrases like “a tried friend” or “a tried method,” conveying reliability from repeated testing. The evolution tracks a shift from literal testing to figurative reliability, often paired with language of experience and evidence. In modern usage, try as a verb has diversified (trying to do something) while tried remains a compact past/rated form used adjectivally or verbally, preserving the core idea of having engaged in effort or validation.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Tried" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Tried" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Tried"
-ied sounds
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