Which to use
“tot” is an adjective and “tun” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,525
- “tot” frequency rank
- #245
- “tun” frequency rank
- 1770
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | tot | tun |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | nicht (mehr) lebend | eine Handlung ausführen |
Where the eye mixes tot and tun
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Look-alike desk: tot vs tun
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: tot is [toːt] while tun is [tuːn]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 1770, 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]. tun is at rank #245, tagged as averb, pronounced [tuːn].
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 1770, this pair ranks #2,003,771 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of tot vs tun
Shared letters: t. Private to "tot": o. Private to "tun": nu.
"tot" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "tun" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "tot" and "tun" mean the same thing in a sentence?
In ordinary German text, does "tot" or "tun" show up more?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "tot" and "tun" 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 "tun" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #2,003,771 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "tot" and "tun" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "taut vs tot". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #2,003,771 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.