TodvsTVConfusable pair

Which to use

“Tod” and “TV” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#609
“Tod” frequency rank
#768
“TV” frequency rank
1377
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Tod TV
Definition das Ende des Sterbevorgangs Gerät zum Empfang von Signalen und zu deren akustischen und visuellen Wiedergabe

Where the eye mixes Tod and TV

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.

3 ch
Tod
2 ch
TV

Look-alike desk: Tod vs TV

A purely visual mix-up. Tod ([toːt]) and TV ([teːˈfaʊ̯]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 1377, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Tod is recorded at frequency rank #609, classified as anoun, pronounced [toːt]. TV is at rank #768, tagged as anoun, pronounced [teːˈfaʊ̯].

Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.

With a confusion score of 1377, this pair ranks #2,004,455 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Tod vs TV

Shared letters: t. Private to "Tod": do. Private to "TV": v.

"Tod" · 3 letters · shape CVC  ·  "TV" · 2 letters · shape CC

Frequently Asked Questions

Do "Tod" and "TV" mean the same thing in a sentence?
No. They are said differently ([toːt] versus [teːˈfaʊ̯]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Tod" or "TV"?
"Tod" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #609 in our German list, against #768 for "TV". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Useful next steps

Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.

  • Full dictionary entry for "Tod" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "TV" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #2,004,455 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "Tod" and "TV" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Tod vs Tons". Nearby pair

Confusion rank #2,004,455 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list