Which to use
“tom” is an adjective and “Totem” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,521
- “tom” frequency rank
- #42,185
- “Totem” frequency rank
- 44706
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | tom | Totem |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | ohne Inhalt; leer | ein Lebewesen, eine Pflanze oder ein Tier, das als der Urahn, als der heilige Vorfahr angesehen wird (in animistischen Völkern) |
Where the eye mixes tom and Totem
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: tom vs Totem
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: tom is [tum] while Totem is [ˈtoːtɛm]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 44706, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
tom is recorded at frequency rank #2,521, classified as anadj, pronounced [tum]. 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 44706, this pair ranks #1,377,401 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of tom vs Totem
Shared letters: mot. Private to "tom": -. Private to "Totem": e.
"tom" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "Totem" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- Totem ← ottem · toetm · totemm · totme · tottem · ttoem · ttotem
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "tom" and "Totem" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "tom" or "Totem"?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "tom" 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 #1,377,401 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "tom" 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 #1,377,401 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.