Which to use
“Tode” and “Totem” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #3,282
- “Tode” frequency rank
- #42,185
- “Totem” frequency rank
- 45467
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Tode | Totem |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Variante für den Dativ Singular des Substantivs Tod | ein Lebewesen, eine Pflanze oder ein Tier, das als der Urahn, als der heilige Vorfahr angesehen wird (in animistischen Völkern) |
Where the eye mixes Tode and Totem
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses Tode with Totem
A purely visual mix-up. Tode ([ˈtoːdə]) and Totem ([ˈtoːtɛm]) 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 45467, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Tode is recorded at frequency rank #3,282, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈtoːdə]. Totem is at rank #42,185, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈtoːtɛm].
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 45467, this pair ranks #1,352,013 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of Tode vs Totem
Shared letters: eot. Private to "Tode": d. Private to "Totem": m.
"Tode" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "Totem" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Tode" for "Totem" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "Tode" or "Totem" show up more?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "Tode" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Totem" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,352,013 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Tode" and "Totem" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "tollem vs Totem". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,352,013 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.