This is the 461st most frequent Russian word.
раза
The Russian word "раза" means "times" (plural of occurrence).
Here, 'раза' is part of an expression denoting a comparative increase, implying multiplication or proportionality of effort or speed by a factor of two.
Он сделал это в два раза быстрее.
He did it twice as fast.
In this sentence, 'раз' refers to an occasion or instance, and its specificity ('На этот раз') indicates the context of the current occurrence.
На этот раз я постараюсь лучше.
This time, I will try harder.
The word 'раза' is used here in the genitive singular form to indicate the number of times an action occurred, specifically aligning with the numeral 'два' (two).