rehearsal

A rehearsal is when people practice or try out something before doing it for real. This could be actors rehearsing their lines for a play.

When we talk about rehearsals, most of the time we mean practicing a performance or a skill. For example, musicians might have a few days of rehearsal before playing in front of an audience. Actors and dancers will often do multiple rehearsals to get the movements and dialogue just right. Even sports teams will rehearse their strategies and plays before the big game.

It's worth noting that there are a couple of other ways to use the word "rehearsal". If you're a musician, for instance, your instrument might need some rehearsal to warm up or to get it sounding its best. This is different from practicing, though - when you rehearse an instrument, you're often just making sure everything is working smoothly before playing something new.