Travails is a noun that refers to a difficult or painful situation, usually related to work or personal struggles. It is spelled with a "tr" sound followed by a long "a" sound and a "v" sound, and then a shortened "i" sound and an "lz" sound. The IPA phonetic transcription for travails is /tɹəˈveɪlz/, with the stress on the second syllable. The spelling of this word can be a challenge for non-native speakers, but it is an important term to know for discussing difficult situations in life.
Travails can have multiple meanings, both as a noun and a verb. As a noun, travails refer to a difficult or laborious task, particularly one involving mental or physical effort. It signifies a state of distress, struggle, or hardship that one endures while attempting to achieve a desired outcome or goal. This includes the physical exertion, emotional turmoil, or mental strain endured during the course of these challenging circumstances. The word's origins can be traced back to the Middle English word "travaile," which means "toil" or "labor."
As a verb, travails indicate the act of engaging in strenuous work or experiencing significant difficulty. It refers to the process of struggling or toiling persistently in order to overcome obstacles and achieve a particular outcome. The verb form of travails often conveys a sense of perseverance, determination, and exertion in the face of adversity.
Overall, whether used as a noun or a verb, the term travails encapsulates the idea of enduring hardship, difficulty, or physical and mental labor while striving to achieve a challenging goal. It suggests a journey filled with obstacles, effort, and challenges that one must overcome in order to reach a desired destination or outcome.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word travails has its origins in the Old French term travailler, meaning to toil, labor, or work strenuously. This Old French word was derived from the Late Latin term tripaliare, which referred to using a three-pronged instrument of torture known as a tripalium. Over time, the meaning of travailler shifted to include both physical and mental struggles, and eventually, it gave rise to the English word travails, which means painful or laborious efforts, struggles, or hardships.