attempt and try share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. attempt means “earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something”. try means “make an effort or attempt”. try is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/əˈtɛmpt/
1.n.earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
“made an effort to cover all the reading material”
2.n.the act of attacking
“attacks on women increased last year”
3.v.make an effort or attempt
“He tried to shake off his fears”
/ˈtɹaɪ/
1.v.make an effort or attempt
“He tried to shake off his fears”
2.v.put to the test, as for its quality, or give experimental use to
“This approach has been tried with good results”
3.v.put on trial or hear a case and sit as the judge at the trial of
“The football star was tried for the murder of his wife”
| attempt | try | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /əˈtɛmpt/ | /ˈtɹaɪ/ |
| Said | uh-TEMPT | trahy |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Letters | 7 | 3 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | verb, noun |
| Senses | 4 | 10 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | effort, endeavor, endeavour | seek, attempt, essay |
Full entry for attempt · Full entry for try · More comparisons