Tried or tryed? Which of these two forms is correct?
Tried or tryed? Have you ever tried to understand English spelling? I hope you have – but if you have not, it is the perfect time to do so! It is easier than you think. I urge you to read this article and I promise you will never mess it up again.
Tried or tryed – which form is correct?
We hope you have noticed this tiny hint at the beginning of the article – now you are a bit closer to solving the mystery yourself but let me explain it to you.
Of course, the first example tried is the correct form. There is no such word as tryed – it is an incorrect form.
The word tried is the past form of the verb to try and it means attempt to do something, make an effort to achieve the expected result.
Tried or tryed? Why tryed is an incorrect form?
When we want to create the past form of a verb, there is a rule saying that we have to change the last y to i in all the regular verbs that end in consonant and single vowel –y and add the ed ending. Sounds complicated? In fact, it is not complicated at all. Look at the examples below:
Tried vs. tryed – what’s the difference?
The form tryed used to be the correct form but as time goes by some words change when it comes to spelling or pronunciation. The same happened with the word tryed which is considered obsolete – that means it is no longer used.
Tried or tryed? Now it is all clear – tried is the correct form
So you not only know the rule but you also understand it and there is no doubt that you can apply it. The easiest way to memorize it is to find some examples of such words used in whole sentences.
Examples
Examples from pop culture
I tried so hard and got so far
But in the end it doesn’t even matter
Linkin Park – In the End (Album: Hybrid Theory)
I tried to scream
But my head was underwater
Billie Eilish – Everything I wanted (When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?)
Examples in the press
Lucas: What we tried to do is not simplify things.
“Salon”, 11 June 2022
She has tried to make the best of that.
“New York Times”, 2 June 2022
And then Dean tried to restart his life.
“Washington Post“, 2 June 2022
Remember! This rule applies only to verbs ending with single vowel y just as in the examples above. It cannot be used in verbs such as play, sway, pay, etc.
