Which to use
“tot” is an adjective and “tu” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,525
- “tot” frequency rank
- #2,620
- “tu” frequency rank
- 4145
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | tot | tu |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | nicht (mehr) lebend | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs tun |
Where the eye mixes tot and tu
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Visual trap between tot and tu
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: tot is [toːt] while tu is [tuː]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 4145, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
tot is recorded at frequency rank #1,525, classified as anadj, pronounced [toːt]. tu is at rank #2,620, tagged as averb, pronounced [tuː].
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 4145, this pair ranks #1,998,460 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of tot vs tu
Shared letters: t. Private to "tot": o. Private to "tu": u.
"tot" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "tu" · 2 letters · shape CV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "tot" for "tu" ever safe?
Frequency check: "tot" vs "tu" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Eye-level mix-up between "tot" and "tu" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "tot" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "tu" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,998,460 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "tot" and "tu" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "taut vs tu". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,998,460 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.