# tango vs tanto

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### tango
*noun · IPA /ˈtæ̞ŋɡəʊ̯/ · frequency rank #13,436*
A standard ballroom dance in 4/4 time; or a social dance, the Argentine tango.

### tanto
*noun · IPA /ˈtɑntoʊ/ · frequency rank #47,369*
A traditional Japanese small sword or knife; often used as a secondary weapon to a katana.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tango-vs-tanto