TokenvsTotemConfusable pair

Which to use

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

#31,824
“Token” frequency rank
#42,185
“Totem” frequency rank
74009
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Token Totem
Definition Gerät, das zeitlich begrenzte, sichere Schlüssel für den Zugang zu Datenverarbeitungssystemen oder auch für das Internetbanking speichert oder generiert ein Lebewesen, eine Pflanze oder ein Tier, das als der Urahn, als der heilige Vorfahr angesehen wird (in animistischen Völkern)

Where the eye mixes Token and Totem

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.

5 ch
Token
5 ch
Totem

Look-alike desk: Token vs Totem

A purely visual mix-up. Token ([ˈtoːkn̩]) 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 74009, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Token is recorded at frequency rank #31,824, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈtoːkn̩]. 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 74009, this pair ranks #344,858 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of Token vs Totem

Shared letters: eot. Private to "Token": kn. Private to "Totem": m.

"Token" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC  ·  "Totem" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Tokenotken · tkoen · toekn · tokenn · tokken · tokne · ttoken
  • Totemottem · toetm · totemm · totme · tottem · ttoem · ttotem

Frequently Asked Questions

Do "Token" and "Totem" mean the same thing in a sentence?
No. They are said differently ([ˈtoːkn̩] versus [ˈtoːtɛm]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Token" or "Totem"?
"Token" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #31,824 in our German list, against #42,185 for "Totem". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

After this comparison

Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.

  • Full dictionary entry for "Token" 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 #344,858 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "Token" 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 #344,858 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