Which to use
“tough” is an adjective and “Tour” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #43,540
- “tough” frequency rank
- #1,574
- “Tour” frequency rank
- 45114
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | tough | Tour |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | robust, widerstandsfähig | Reise, Weg oder Bewegung mit in der Regel identischem Ausgangs- und Zielort |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set tough and Tour apart are highlighted. They share 3 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: tough is [taf] while Tour is [tuːɐ̯]. 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 noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 45114, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
tough is recorded at frequency rank #43,540, classified as anadj, pronounced [taf]. Tour is at rank #1,574, tagged as anoun, pronounced [tuːɐ̯].
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 45114, this pair ranks #1,364,029 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of tough vs Tour
Shared letters: otu. Private to "tough": gh. Private to "Tour": r.
"tough" · 5 letters · shape CVVCC · "Tour" · 4 letters · shape CVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "tough" and "Tour" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "tough" or "Tour"?
Remembering tough vs Tour
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “tough”; for a noun, it's “Tour”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “tough” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable