Which to use
“Todes” and “Totem” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #5,432
- “Todes” frequency rank
- #42,185
- “Totem” frequency rank
- 47617
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Todes | Totem |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Genitiv 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 Todes and Totem
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses Todes with Totem
A purely visual mix-up. Todes ([ˈtoːdəs]) 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 share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 47617, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Todes is recorded at frequency rank #5,432, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈtoːdəs]. 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 47617, this pair ranks #1,278,071 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of Todes vs Totem
Shared letters: eot. Private to "Todes": ds. Private to "Totem": m.
"Todes" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "Totem" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Todes" and "Totem" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "Todes" or "Totem"?
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 "Todes" 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 #1,278,071 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Todes" 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 #1,278,071 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.