Which to use
“Totem” is a noun and “totes” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #42,185
- “Totem” frequency rank
- #26,196
- “totes” frequency rank
- 68381
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Totem | totes |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | ein Lebewesen, eine Pflanze oder ein Tier, das als der Urahn, als der heilige Vorfahr angesehen wird (in animistischen Völkern) | Nominativ Singular Neutrum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs tot |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Totem and totes apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: Totem is [ˈtoːtɛm] while totes is [ˈtoːtəs]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - m in “Totem” becomes s in “totes”, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 68381, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Totem is recorded at frequency rank #42,185, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈtoːtɛm]. totes is at rank #26,196, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈtoːtəs].
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 68381, this pair ranks #509,632 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of Totem vs totes
Shared letters: eot. Private to "Totem": m. Private to "totes": s.
"Totem" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "totes" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Totem" and "totes" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "Totem" or "totes"?
Remembering Totem vs totes
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “Totem”; for an adjective, it's “totes”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Totem” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable