<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2018-04-30</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>1</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000914577</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>TRANS WORLD CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>twoc</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001403388</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Brodsky Michael</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O NEW WORLD OPPORTUNITY PARTNERS I LLC</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>1603 ORRINGTON AVE, STE 1600</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>EVANSTON</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>IL</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>60201</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <derivativeTable>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Options</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>2.9744</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2018-04-30</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>10000</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>1.2142</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <exerciseDate>
                <value>2015-04-15</value>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2020-04-15</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>10000</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>0</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeTransaction>
    </derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">On April 15, 2015, the Reporting Person was granted five-year (5) non-qualified stock options (&quot;NQSOs&quot;) to purchase 10,000 shares of the Issuer's common stock, $0.001 par value (&quot;Common Stock&quot;).  These NQSOs provided for vesting in four equal parts, with the first part vested immediately upon the date of grant, and another part to vest upon the first anniversary of the grant date, another part to vest upon the second anniversary of the grant date, and so on.  On each anniversary of the grant date, the exercise price increased by four percent (4%).</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Cancelled pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger (the &quot;Merger Agreement&quot;) dated as of March 2, 2018 by and among FEC Overseas Investment (UK) Limited, FEC Investment (US) Limited, Trans World Corporation and, solely for limited purposes therein, Far East Consortium International Limited, in exchange for a lump sum cash payment (less any applicable withholding) equal to the product of the number of shares of Common Stock subject to the option multiplied by the excess, of any, of $4.1886 over the exercise price per share of Common Stock under such option.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Michael Brodsky</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2018-05-01</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
