Try vs Tries: What’s the Difference?

Try vs Tries Quiz: Test Yourself in 60 Seconds

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tryI, you, we, they

The base verb form, and the singular noun.

They try a new route every Sunday. Give it a try.

trieshe, she, it (verb)

The verb for one person or thing.

She tries a new recipe every Sunday.

triesmore than one (noun)

The plural of the noun try.

It took me three tries to open the lock.

trysmisspelling

Not standard English.

Consonant + y changes to ies, so the correct spelling is tries.

Try vs tries trips people up because both words are correct; the right one depends on who is doing the trying. Try goes with I, you, we and they, while tries goes with he, she, it and any single person or thing. Tries also serves as the plural of the noun try, which gives you a second way to mix them up. Here is the rule, with examples you can borrow.

What does try mean?

Try means to attempt something or to test it out. As a verb, it is the base form: I try, you try, we try, they try. As a noun, a try is one attempt, as in “Give it a try.”

Try also appears in compound ideas like try on a jacket or try out a new app, and in rugby, a try is a way of scoring. In every case, the singular noun and the base verb share the same spelling.

What does tries mean?

Tries has two jobs: it is the third-person singular form of the verb try, and it is the plural of the noun try. Dictionary.com lists both uses.

As a verb, it follows a singular subject: “She tries to be at the head of her class.” As a noun, it counts attempts: “It took four tries to get the password right.” In sports reports, you will also see it for rugby scores, as in “maul tries are more common this season.”

Try vs tries: what’s the real difference?

For verbs, the difference is subject-verb agreement: use tries when the subject is he, she, it or one person or thing, and use try for everything else. A quick guide:

• I try, you try, we try, they try. Plural or first and second person subjects take the base form.
• He tries, she tries, it tries. A single third-person subject takes tries. So do names and singular nouns: “Maya tries,” “the team tries.”
• After do, does, did, can and will, use try. Those helper words already carry the agreement, so the verb stays in its base form: “Does she try?” and “She doesn’t try.”

For nouns, the rule is simpler: one try, two tries. The past tense is tried and the -ing form is trying, and both keep the same root.

Why is it tries and not trys?

When a verb ends in a consonant plus y, you drop the y and add ies. That is why try becomes tries, cry becomes cries and carry becomes carries.

When the y follows a vowel, you simply add s, so play becomes plays and enjoy becomes enjoys. The r before the y in try is a consonant, so the ies spelling applies. The same change makes the plural noun: one try, two tries.

Is trys a word?

No, trys is not a standard English word. It is a common misspelling of tries, usually made by adding only an s to try.

If you see trys in your draft, replace it with tries, whether you meant the verb (she tries) or the plural noun (three tries).

How can you remember which one to use?

Swap in he, she or it and see if it fits: if the sentence works with a single subject, use tries; if the subject is I, you, we or they, use try. For nouns, count the attempts: one try, two or more tries.

What are the most common try vs tries mistakes?

• She try to finish before noon. → She tries to finish before noon.
• He trys hard every day. → He tries hard every day.
• They tries again every morning. → They try again every morning.
• I got it on my second tries. → I got it on my second try.
• Does she tries to help? → Does she try to help?

Memory tricks for try and tries

• He, she, it gets an s. A single third-person subject needs the s ending, and with try that becomes ies.
• Y out, ies in. After a consonant, swap the y for ies: try becomes tries, just like cry becomes cries.
• One try, two tries. For attempts, count them: a single attempt is a try, and more than one are tries.

Try vs Tries FAQ

Is it try or tries?

Use try with I, you, we and they, and tries with he, she, it or a single subject. For example, they try but she tries.

Is trys a correct spelling?

No. Trys is a misspelling. When a verb ends in a consonant plus y, change the y to ies, so the correct form is tries.

Why does try become tries?

English changes y to ies when a word ends in a consonant plus y. The same rule gives cry and cries, and carry and carries.

Is tries a noun or a verb?

Both. Tries is the third-person singular form of the verb try, as in she tries, and the plural of the noun try, as in three tries.

Is it does she try or does she tries?

It is does she try. After does, doesn’t and did, the verb stays in its base form, so you never add the s.

Try vs Tries: The Bottom Line

Try vs tries is a matter of agreement: use try with I, you, we and they, and tries with he, she or it. Remember the plural noun is tries too, and the spelling trys is never correct.

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