A tray is a flat container with a low rim for holding or carrying things, like a food tray. A trey is a three: a card with three pips, a die side with three spots, or a three-point shot in basketball. In the tray vs trey question, if you can carry it, write tray; if you’re counting to three, write trey.
Tray vs Trey Quiz: Test Yourself
Flip Cards: Tray vs Trey at a Glance
Tap a card to flip it.
Tray vs trey causes mix-ups because the two words are pronounced exactly the same. They are homophones, but they have nothing else in common: one is a flat container you carry, and the other is a way of saying three. Here is how to tell them apart, with examples and a few memory tricks.
| Term | Meaning | Part of speech / Category | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| tray | An open container with a flat bottom and a low rim for holding or carrying things | Noun | She carried the tray of food to our table. |
| tray | A shallow holder used for a specific job, as in ice cube tray or baking tray | Noun (compound) | Put the ice cube tray in the freezer. |
| trey | A basketball shot that counts for three points | Noun (sports) | He hit a trey in the final seconds. |
| trey | A card with three main pips | Noun (cards) | I drew the trey of hearts. |
| trey | The side of a die or domino with three spots | Noun (games) | The die landed on a trey. |
| Trey | A given name, often a nickname | Proper noun (name) | Trey is meeting us at six. |
What does tray mean?
A tray is an open container with a flat bottom and a low rim, used for holding, carrying or displaying things. It is the word you want for anything you slide onto a table, into an oven or into a freezer.
- She carried the tray of food to our table.
- The car has several storage trays.
Tray also appears in everyday compounds such as baking tray, ice cube tray, tea tray, litter tray, and in tray and out tray for office papers.
What does trey mean?
A trey is a three. It is the word for a playing card numbered three, the side of a die or domino with three spots, and a three-point shot in basketball.
- Cards: He played the trey of spades.
- Dice: The die landed on a trey.
- Basketball: She drained a trey with seconds left on the clock.
The plural is “treys,” as in “He made three treys in the first half.”
Tray vs trey: which one should you use?
Use tray for something you can hold or carry, and trey for the number three in games and sports. Two quick checks settle almost every sentence:
- Could you put food or papers on it? Write tray.
- Are you counting three points, three pips or three spots? Write trey.
Because the two words sound identical, you can only tell them apart by what the sentence is about. Read it once for meaning before you pick the spelling.
Is trey a real word?
Yes. Trey is a standard dictionary word, listed as a noun for a card, die or domino side with three spots and for a three-point shot in basketball. It has been in English since the 14th century and comes through French from the Latin word for “three.”
It is less common than tray, so spellcheck may not always catch a mix-up. Since both spellings are real words, a spelling checker won’t flag the wrong one, so you have to check the meaning yourself.
Is Trey a name?
Yes. With a capital T, Trey is a given name, and it is often used as a nickname for someone who is the third in a family line, such as “Robert Smith III, known as Trey.” The nickname fits because trey means “three.”
The capital letter is your clue. If it names a person, write Trey. If you mean the container, it’s always lowercase tray.
What are the most common tray vs trey mistakes?
She carried the trey of drinks to the table.
She carried the tray of drinks to the table.
He drained a tray from the corner to win the game.
He drained a trey from the corner to win the game.
The ice cube trey is in the freezer.
The ice cube tray is in the freezer.
I drew a tray of hearts from the deck.
I drew a trey of hearts from the deck.
Please put the paperwork in the out trey.
Please put the paperwork in the out tray.
How can you remember which one to use?
- The “three” trick: trey comes from the Latin word for three, and it starts like “tres,” the Spanish word for three. If the sentence is about three of something, write trey.
- The “flat ray” trick: tray contains “ray,” and a stingray is flat, just like a tray.
- The “carry it” test: if you can carry it with both hands, it’s a tray.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between tray and trey?
A tray is a flat container with a low rim for holding or carrying things. A trey is a three, as in a card, a die side or a three-point shot in basketball.
Is trey a real word?
Yes. Dictionaries list trey as a noun for a card, die or domino side with three spots and for a three-point shot in basketball.
How do you pronounce tray and trey?
They are pronounced the same, like ‘tray.’ They are homophones with different spellings and meanings.
Is Trey a name?
Yes. Trey is a given name, often used as a nickname for someone who is the third in a family line.
What is the plural of trey?
The plural is treys, as in ‘he made three treys.’
Conclusion
The tray vs trey question comes down to meaning: a tray holds things, and a trey is a three. Use the “carry it or count it” test whenever you’re unsure. Share this with someone who mixes these up.