Which to use
“toll” and “tout” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #785
- “toll” frequency rank
- #42,186
- “tout” frequency rank
- 42971
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | toll | tout |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | einfältig bis verrückt | all |
Where the eye mixes toll and tout
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence. toll (CVCC) and tout (CVVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Visual trap between toll and tout
A purely visual mix-up. toll ([tɔl]) and tout ([tu]) 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 42971, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
toll is recorded at frequency rank #785, classified as anadj, pronounced [tɔl]. tout is at rank #42,186, tagged as anadj, pronounced [tu].
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 42971, this pair ranks #1,432,654 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of toll vs tout
Shared letters: ot. Private to "toll": l. Private to "tout": u.
"toll" · 4 letters · shape CVCC · "tout" · 4 letters · shape CVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "toll" for "tout" ever safe?
Which is more common, "toll" or "tout"?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "toll" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "tout" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,432,654 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "toll" and "tout" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "taut vs tout". 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 #1,432,654 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.